LifeSpring Awarded $1.65M in SAMHSA Grant Funding

LifeSpring Health Systems is pleased to announce two new grants awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) totaling nearly $1,650,000. Funding will create two new programs aimed at increasing access to mental health treatment. 

An Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program will be implemented in Clark, Dubois, Floyd, and Jefferson counties in Indiana. The AOT Program will work with the civil courts in these counties to provide community-based access to court-ordered mental health treatment for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). AOT programs are designed to improve treatment participation and long‐term clinical outcomes for adults with SMI. AOT programs reduce incidences and during of psychiatric hospitalizations, incarcerations, interactions with the criminal justice system, while improving the health and social outcomes of individuals with SMI. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), AOT programs reduce psychiatric inpatient episodes by 40% and client arrests by nearly 20%. 

Additionally, LifeSpring will implement the Zero Suicide framework across the agency. The Zero Suicide model is a comprehensive, multi-setting approach grounded in the belief that suicide deaths within care systems can be preventable. The framework combines seven elements of safe and effective suicide care for individuals at risk of LifeSpring Health Systems is the state designated community mental health center in eleven Southern Indiana counties and a Federally Qualified Health Center. LifeSpring serves more than 20,000 clients annually by providing a comprehensive spectrum of behavioral healthcare services. To learn more, visit LifeSpring’s website at www.lifespringhealthsystems.org. suicide, representing a holistic approach to suicide prevention within health care systems. Suicide remains among the leading causes of preventable death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023 over 49,400 lives were lost to suicide in the United States - an increase of approximately 35% since 2000. Through the creation of a Zero Suicide program LifeSpring will strengthen care systems, promote recovery-oriented practices, and ensure every adult at risk of suicide is identified, receives timely support, and remains connected throughout the continuum of care. 

“These awards represent far more than new funding - they represent new opportunities to save lives and better serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Dr. Beth Keeney, President and CEO of LifeSpring Health Systems. "The Assisted Outpatient Treatment and Zero Suicide initiatives align directly with our mission to ensure every individual has access to compassionate, evidence-based care when and where they need it most. These investments will allow us to strengthen partnerships, expand access to critical services, and continue building a behavioral health system that is proactive, coordinated, and focused on recovery and hope.”