DuPage County Health Department awarded more than $2 million in grants

The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) secured two federal grants totaling more than $2 million to expand efforts to improve mental health, prevent substance use disorders and prevent drownings, according to a news release.

The two grants have been awarded to DCHD through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Both awards are the result of a highly competitive process and support DCHD’s work to protect the health and promote the well being of DuPage County’s nearly one million residents.

“We are honored to be a recipient of these two federal grants,” DuPage County Health Department Executive Director Adam Forker said in the release. “Federal funds enhance our work with local partners to help us keep DuPage County the healthiest county in Illinois.”

SAMHSA awarded DCHD $375,000 a year in funding over a five-year period, totaling $1,875,000. This funding will help the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team (PLT) working to prevent substance use and increase mental wellness among DuPage County Youth.

For the past 10 years, PLT was funded to focus on substance use prevention for youth, 18 years and younger in DuPage County. This new funding will expand PLT’s work to now focus on both substance use and mental health for youth and adults throughout the county. For additional information on PLT visit dupageplt.org/ and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/DuPagePLT

Additionally, CPSC awarded DCHD $378,854 in pool safely grant funding over a two-year period. This funding will support DCHD’s Protect Swimmers 10M (PS10M) goal to prevent child drowning and suction drain entrapment through community awareness activities and professional trainings.

DCHD has been a recipient of the pool safely grant since 2018. The new grant award allows PS10M to expand training and education outreach statewide. Three public swimming facilities in the expanded PS10M service region will be selected to deliver free swimming lessons to children. Swim lessons will be age and developmentally appropriate and focused on building essential swimming competencies. For additional information on PS10M visit dupagehealth.org/231/Pool-Safely.