MENTAL HEALTH GRANT GOES TOWARD TREATMENT PROGRAM

The Cumberland County Mental Health Department has received a grant
for $430,752 from the state.

The money is from the Department of Health and Human Services'
Substance Abuse Services Division. The money will be used to expand
the state Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime program.

The program is designed to help people in the court system who need
treatment for drug or alcohol abuse or mental illnesses. Cumberland
County will coordinate the program for 21 counties.

Mental Health Director Tom Miriello announced the award at the mental
health board meeting on Wednesday. William McDougal, the substance
abuse director at Mental Health, said the department will hire eight
people for the program.

The board approved a plan to share the cost of hiring a personnel
analyst with the Health Department, the Department of Social
Services, and the county. Miriello said the state cut its regional
personnel office in Fayetteville, and told the county to handle
personnel needs for those three departments. Mental Health will spend
$17,000 to pay for the position.

Miriello told the board that the department received two awards. One
is a commendation from Gov. Mike Easley for the department's State
Incentive Grant program, which develops science-based drug prevention
programs in cooperation with schools, churches, and law enforcement.
The second award was recognition from the state Department of Labor
for safety.

In other business, the Mental Health Department Auxiliary will hold a
garage sale from 7 a.m. to noon on Sept. 29. The sale will raise
money to help patients at mental health.