Mississippi State University in Starkville has received a nearly $1 million grant to support behavioral health services in rural communities across the state.
The $943,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration will support MSU's Applied Behavior Analysis program in the College of Education, according to an Oct. 11 news release from the university.
The funding will be used to address the behavioral health provider shortage in the state through stipends and support to ABA master's students and existing providers who serve in rural areas.
Practitioners using ABA services work to improve the overall quality of life and independence for a variety of individuals, most frequently working with patients with autism or an intellectual or developmental disability, the release said.