Elkhart County Health Department and The SOURCE receive $4M grant for youth mental health services

GOSHEN, Ind. -- The SOURCE Hosted by Oaklawn and the Elkhart County Health Department announced they will receive a $4 million federal grant to fund services for youth who have experienced a mental health crisis.

This will be the third expansion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), totaling $4 million over four years starting Sept. 30.

The SOURCE is a group of providers and families working together to remove barriers to mental health resources and treatment for children, teens and young adults.

The SOURCE received similar funding twice over the past decade to strengthen collaboration between youth-serving organizations and implement new services to support youth mental health.

Officials say the new grant will focus on helping youth who have experienced a mental health crisis transition to stability.

This included gaining additional staff to provide services, community training on youth mental health, funding treatment for youth without access, and more.

“We’re incredibly honored to receive this funding and excited for what it means for our community,” said Anna Sawatzky, director of The SOURCE. “Elkhart County is fortunate to have so many partners working toward better mental health for youth and families. We’ve made significant progress over the past 10 years and we’re looking forward to continuing this transformative work.”

Officials say notable projects from The SOURCE over the past 10 years which will continue either under The SOURCE or partner organizations include:

• The Elkhart County Child Dashboard - Tracks indicators of child and family wellbeing, helping decision-makers respond to the community’s needs in real time.
• The Partnership for Children - A collaboration between youth-serving organizations that identifies at-risk youth earlier, engages them in treatment faster and leads to better long-term outcomes.
• Together We ROCK - An infant and early childhood mental health program, will continue in Elkhart County and expand to St. Joseph County.

“Receiving a third round of SAMHSA funding is a testament to the incredible work being done by Oaklawn and The SOURCE,” said Melanie Sizemore, Elkhart County Health Officer. “Their commitment to improving mental health and substance use services in our community is making a real difference. We’re excited to see what the future holds as they continue to work closely with Elkhart County families to support lasting health and wellness.”