MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday announced the Alabama Family Central website, a free, comprehensive, easy-to-use website with mobile access that offers parents and caregivers, families, and teachers a one-stop connection to programs and services in Alabama. Programs, tools and information on child care, education, family services and health services can all be found on the site.
“Alabama Family Central will assist Alabama citizens to continue to build strong healthy families by ensuring parents and children in our state have access to crucial information and resources from numerous state agencies, service providers and non-profit organizations,” Governor Ivey said. “Great parents need strong partners. I thank the state agencies and other partners for this wonderful new resource,” Ivey continued.
The site highlights relevant and timely resources to address the needs of families. Child care listings, county health departments, other health services, education resources, and many more are found easily on the site. Currently, Alabama Family Central is highlighting A+ Education Partnership’s COVID-19 Parent Resources site, a vital resource, as many children are still attending school remotely.
To address a need identified by the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, this site was collaboratively created by state agencies and other partners to support Alabama families as a compilation and link to available resources that can assist with issues related to the health and well-being of children and families. The Alabama Legislature supported this effort with $500,000 in funding from the FY21 Education Trust Fund budget.
Information about the site will be communicated on agency partner websites, the Alabama Family Central Facebook page, online videos, radio, and billboards throughout the state.
The Alabama Family Central website is a collaboration managed by the Alabama Partnership for Children and includes:
Office of the Governor of Alabama
A+ Education Partnership
Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
Alabama Department of Education
Alabama Department of Human Resources
Alabama Department of Mental Health
Alabama Department of Public Health
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services
Alabama Medicaid
Alabama Office of Information Technology
For questions or comments from public, please contactalfamilycentral@apcteam.org
at Alabama Family Partnership or (334) 271-0304.
Press questions about Alabama Family Central, please contact Malissa Valdes-Hubert at malissa.valdes-hubert@mh.alabama.gov or 334-202-1910.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.– Start the new year with a new career! Interested in improving the lives of others, while working with dedicated professionals? We want you on our team! We are hiring Mental Health Workers at three state facilities in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
There are a variety of shift options available as Mental Health Workers provide meaningful and rewarding care for individuals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Employment with ADMH and the State of Alabama offers:
- meaningful and rewarding work
- competitive salary
- exceptional benefit package that includes comprehensive health and dental insurance options at economical rates
- defined retirement plan in which your benefits are not diminished by changes in the financial market
ADMH strives to be on the forefront at the mental healthcare industry, guided by our mission to serve, empower, and offer support to individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders.
Please view all available career opportunities at the Alabama Department of Mental Health at https://mh.alabama.gov/mental-health-workers/.
Montgomery, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Mental Health and The Alabama Emergency Management Agency stand together, more prepared to assist citizens in the state with additional resources related to COVID-19 mental health needs, with the awarding of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) AL APART TOGETHER grant for Fiscal Year 2021.
The state now offers crisis resources, help and information through regional providers, through one easy to access statewide Information Line, 1-888-442-1793.
Any individual, including but not limited to, children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, healthcare professionals, first responders, and administrators working on the frontlines who are experiencing stress or anxiety related to COVID-19, may call the Information Line at 1-888-442-1793. The Information Line will connect individuals with appropriate staff and programs in their local communities to provide vital resources and services.
“We are grateful for another opportunity to provide Alabama citizens with links to essential supports, during this challenging time of the pandemic,” said Dr. Ileeia Cobb, Director, Office of Policy and Planning, ADMH.
When an individual seeks assistance from the Information Line, several options are available, including referral services, online support groups, educational materials for social distancing, quarantine, and isolation, and emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak, and managing anxiety & stress techniques. For more details on the Information Line, please contact the ADMH Office of Public Information at publicinformatin.dmh@mh.alabama.gov, 334-242-3417.
Montgomery, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey selected Kimberly G. Boswell as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) on November 30, 2020, stating, “She (Kimberly) has spent the entirety of her professional career devoted to helping struggling individuals and I appreciate her willingness to serve in this new capacity. Her background as a mental health provider, as well as administrator makes her uniquely qualified.”
Kimberly (Kim) G. Boswell will take over the role upon the retirement of Commissioner Lynn Beshear on December 16, 2020. Building on the work started under Beshear’s tenure, Boswell will move forward with developing an accessible, interconnected, effective and just system of care for individuals served by ADMH.
“My social work education has served me well in understanding human and organizational interactions and how they work together to serve people. I am excited about the future of mental health and the opportunity to work with our dedicated employees and community partners to serve, empower and support the individuals we serve,” said Boswell.
Boswell served as Chief of Staff for Beshear and has been both Associate Commissioner for Administration and Director of Human Resources for ADMH. Boswell has more than 36 years of experience working with individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.
Currently, she is a member of the Friendship Mission Board – a long-term shelter for men, women and children who are homeless in the River Region and Mescal’s Children Center for Hope, which is a Christian ministry serving children in Kenya, South Africa.
She earned her MSW from the FSU College of Social Work in 1984, with a specialization in planning and program evaluation. She also holds a BSW from the University of Alabama Birmingham.
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10-28-20 Crisis Diversion Center Announcement
Governor Ivey Announces Awardees of Crisis Center Funding
OCTOBER 28, 2020
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey announced today, along with Commissioner Lynn Beshear of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter, the awardees of funding for crisis centers to serve individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders.
The providers and locations of the new crisis centers are AltaPointe Health in Mobile, the Montgomery Area Mental Health Authority, and WellStone Behavioral Health in Huntsville.
“Behavioral health care in Alabama is changing to better meet the needs of our citizens,” Governor Ivey said. “Expanding and enhancing access to crisis care services will also provide a range of tools to divert individuals from emergency departments and jails, maximize the limited behavioral health workforce, and most importantly, improve the quality of life for Alabama families and communities.”
The crisis care centers are a designated place for communities, law enforcement, first responders, and hospitals to take an individual who is in mental health crisis. The crisis care centers will include both walk-in access for individuals and the ability for hospital emergency departments and law enforcement agencies to transfer individuals to the center for crisis care, including short-term admission, medication management, and case management. Services will also include discharge planning and connections to ongoing behavioral health care services for longer-term care, if needed.
“We applaud the governor’s leadership and the legislature’s investment to establish these three pilot centers and create a safe place for those in crisis, which will offer a new level of care in our state,” Commissioner Beshear said. “Behavioral health crisis services are one of the most effective tools within a statewide system of care to improve the lives of people with mental health or substance abuse disorders.”
In the 2020 legislative session, Governor Ivey prioritized establishing a metal health crisis continuum of care, with efforts in the Alabama Legislature led by House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter. The crisis care centers are a result of an $18 million appropriation in the FY2021 General Fund budget approved earlier this year. The awards were granted through a Request for Information and competitive Request for Proposal evaluation and selection process.
“We have an opportunity to truly deliver on the commitment to better health outcomes for all Alabamians,” House Majority Leader Ledbetter said. “Without these types of crisis centers in Alabama, those in a mental health crisis will continue to be taken and admitted improperly into local jails and hospital emergency departments. There is an opportunity now to commit to improved crisis care for those with acute mental health needs and substance use disorders.”
These centers will help to:
- Reduce the number of arrests
- Reduce the frequency of visits to hospital emergency departments
- Provide individuals in crisis access to care
- Promote sustained recovery and provide linkage to community agencies and organizations, psychiatric and medical services, crisis prevention and intervention services.
Jails and hospitals are often the first entry point for many individuals in mental health crisis. These locations are not equipped to care for those with serious mental illness. Neither have the personnel or resources to address the needs.
The bold goal of establishing a crisis continuum of care supports the ideal outcome of zero unnecessary admits to the hospital emergency department and zero unnecessary bookings into jail. Crisis centers can provide many of the mental health resources that local law enforcement, hospitals, judges, families and individuals are desperately seeking in Alabama communities.
To learn more, please visit mh.alabama.gov/initiatives.
Montgomery Ala.– Join us in our mission as the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) helps to keep children drug-free by celebrating Red Ribbon Week. The Red Ribbon campaign has become the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the nation. This year Red Ribbon Week is celebrated October 23-31, 2020.
“Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free,” is this year’s Red Ribbon Week theme, which will support and amplify the message to help families and communities feel empowered by sharing their own positivity, bravery and strength. Take the National Red Ribbon Campaign Pledge now and be a part of the creation of a drug free America.
In recognition of Red Ribbon Week, ADMH will bring awareness to the campaign, by lighting all RSA towers in red including; RSA Dexter Ave, RSA Systems Building, RSA Tower and the RSA Montgomery Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery.
“The ADMH Office of Prevention proudly supports and promotes this year’s Red Ribbon Week theme as it serves as an opportunity for individuals, businesses, agencies, and communities to express drug-free messaging and this year’s theme through creativity,” said ADMH Prevention Services Director, Beverly Johnson. “We join the nation and our state in taking this opportunity to encourage youth, families, and communities to live healthy, happy and drug-free lives.”
Each year the wearing of Red Ribbons is a symbol for intolerance of drugs and the violence they can produce. We encourage Alabama youth and community to wear Red Ribbons with pride and choose to live a drug-free life.
The first official Red Ribbon Week celebration was created by the National Family Partnership (NFP) in 1988. NFP continues to coordinate the campaign for families, schools, and communities across the nation each year. Since then, the red ribbon has symbolized a continuing commitment to reducing the demand for illicit drugs in communities. Red Ribbon Week is put together through a series of celebrations that project a strong, united, positive message, helping our community to take a stand toward making us drug-free/violence-free.
Montgomery, Ala. – It’s Mental Illness Awareness Week! Many people do not seek treatment in the early stages of mental illnesses because they don’t recognize the symptoms. To help share vital information and help end stigma, the Alabama Department of Mental Health and organizations all over the country will focus on seven major mental health conditions. Action items individuals can complete at home to advance mental health education and advocacy will be shared on social media and on www.mh.alabama.gov.
The seven major mental conditions include:
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Psychosis
- Eating Disorders
- Depression
- PTSD
- Addiction/Substance Use Disorder
This week and every day, we challenge you to learn more, engage in self-care, and support others through listening and offering resources. For more information on mental health providers and Hot/Warm phone lines, please visit the Find Help tab on www.mh.alabama.gov.
Mental Health Awareness Week was established by Congress in 1990, to educate and increase awareness about mental illness.
September 13-19, 2020
Montgomery, Ala. – Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is an annual celebration to recognize the life-changing contributions of the direct support professional (DSP) workforce who support people with disabilities and older adults. During this week we are celebrating the important work of thousands of DSPs in Alabama. These individuals are some of the most critical aspects of disability services, as they help more Alabamians to remain safe, healthy, and independent in their homes.
“Direct Support Professionals, those who are on the front lines providing the most personal supports and care to more than 6,000 Alabamians are critical to our service delivery system. Through their work, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are assisted to lead a self-directed life and contribute to the community,” said Terry Pezent, Associate Commissioner of Developmental Disabilities, Alabama Department of Mental Health.
Pezent continued, “They do this by providing direct supports like assisting with daily activities, if needed; supporting safe and healthy, independent living; and providing support on a job. They truly make a difference by helping those they serve to achieve the fullest life possible.”
Every year, there is a nationwide celebration to recognize and showcase the unsung work of these committed professionals, this is just a small fraction of the recognition that they deserve throughout the year. This year to acknowledge and celebrate their efforts, the Alabama Department of Mental Health will raise awareness about the role DSPs play in helping people with disabilities live a fulfilling life, through the sharing of stories, information and resources on social media and www.mh.alabama.gov.
ADMH applauds and congratulates each of its DSPs professionals at our provider agencies, as they continue to provide front-line support and make a difference in the lives of many individuals. This week and every day, ADMH celebrates their extraordinary service, hearts, and dedication in supporting people with disabilities.
We thank Governor Kay Ivey for acknowledging this week with an honorary proclamation! Commissioner Lynn Beshear helped to celebrate this week with a reading of the Governor’s proclamation, which can be viewed on the ADMH Facebook page.
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