Grants to fund juvenile drug/mental-health, pregnancy programs

Youngstown

A $100,000 grant from the Western Reserve Health Foundation will help the Mahoning County Juvenile Court launch a new program to identify and recommend treatment for drug and mental-health issues in the families of young offenders.

Meanwhile, a foundation grant of $70,900 will support the county board of health’s new “Centering Pregnancy” program, which will help groups of at-risk pregnant women choose health-promoting behaviors and teach them to their infants.

“Programs like these are important, but public resources for them are limited,” said Phillip Dennison, chairman of the foundation and principal at the accounting firm of Packer Thomas & Co. .

The juvenile court and health board projects dovetail with the foundation’s priorities “that align with the goals and objectives” outlined in the Mahoning County Community Health Assessment, said Casey Bertolette, coordinator of supporting organizations and grant-making for the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, of which WRHF is an affiliate.

WRHF wanted to “give some seed money to some new projects,” Bertolette added.

Read more about the projects in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.