Editors’ Note: This story was originally published in The Rockbridge Report on Oct. 17.

The Rockbridge Area Health Center received a $600,000 grant to expand mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

Patricia Cook, RAHC’s director of development, said the two-year grant begins in 2026.

“Our goal is to foster a healthy community for all of our neighbors,” she said. “Our behavioral health expansion program and our school-based health centers program are about providing access to necessary services and eliminating barriers such as transportation, lack of insurance, or lack of providers.”

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded a combined total of $3.5 million to six health centers in Virginia.

According to a community needs assessment by Carilion Clinic, a health services provider in Rockbridge County, “Mental health and substance use services were indicated as a top potential quality of life improvement in the Rockbridge Area.”

The report found that adults in Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington scored above the state average in depressive disorders, mentally unhealthy days and cigarette smoking. Adults in Lexington also ranked above the Virginia average in excessive drinking.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says that substance use disorders are the number two causes of death and disability in the United States.

Cook said the new funding will allow the RAHC to hire more licensed mental health providers and expand telehealth services.

The plan will also include community outreach to combat the stigma around mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Cook says that making mental health screening part of overall care helps reduce the stigma.

“When somebody comes to meet one of our primary care providers for an annual physical, we try to at least once a year screen them for behavioral health issues to see if they would benefit from behavioral health services,” she said.

A 2024 grant provided funds to RAHC’s school-based health centers to support students and staff.

“It has been very well received,” Cook said. “Families are excited about it because they don’t have to necessarily take off [work] to take their child for an appointment and the student doesn’t have to miss school.”

The September grant will support that work and expand education about substance use disorders.

“Whether it’s vaping or alcohol or drugs, we have a great opportunity to be able to be present and be a part of all of that so that we’re able to help prevent issues before they happen or be there for support if they do happen,” Cook said.

Cook says the most important thing RAHC can do is promote a healthy lifestyle that is accessible to everyone in the area, including nonresidents, college students and veterans. RAHC accepts most insurance plans and offers a sliding scale fee for anyone who qualifies.

“We just want our community to be healthy and that involves multiple facets,” she said. “It’s not just our physical health and it’s not just our dental health but also our behavioral health. It is our role to provide that for everybody in the community regardless of income or insurance status.”