Fayetteville-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institute for Community Health Innovation has received a $1.2 million Rural Communities Pathways grant to support youth behavioral health and workforce development programs.
The institute will partner with schools in Carroll and Madison counties, including Huntsville, Eureka Springs and Kingston, to train teachers to identify and respond to risk behaviors and engage students in peer-driven behavioral health programs, according to an April 6 news release from the institute.
Topics will include mental health awareness, stress management and substance abuse prevention. The effort also includes establishing pathway programs to introduce students to community health careers, including the first community health worker training for high school students.
The institution said the collaboration is part of its broader mission to transform health in rural communities.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has a main campus in Little Rock and includes eight institutes. The system has 3,553 students, 1,015 medical residents and fellows and about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians.
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