Minority Behavioral Health Group and Love Akron Receive Funding for Healing Programs

The Board of Directors for the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADM) Board approved funding for community healing programs and resources targeting the African American community and greater Akron community during its July 26 meeting. Minority Behavioral Health Group received $231,116.48 for mental health support efforts, and Love Akron was awarded a faith-based mini-grant through the Change Direction Faith Subcommittee for $45,414 to use for its Grief Recovery Method program.

Love Akron plans to use funding dollars to support the training of community members to become certified Grief Recovery Model (GRM) specialists. This will allow practitioners to apply an evidence-based, action-oriented approach to assisting those in Summit County who may be struggling with grief or trauma as a free resource.

“Love Akron is honored by the opportunity to serve our community with the Grief Recovery Method,” Love Akron Executive Director Kemp Boyd said. “This grant will help over the next 10 months to get more individuals training to become Grief Recovery Method Specialists.”

Minority Behavioral Health Group will direct its funding toward programs meant to support and assess needs in the African American community while providing connections with resources, increasing mental health awareness, and helping build community-wide resiliency and healing through facilitated dialogue and outreach efforts.

“Our focus is developing relationships across the community with those of varying experiences, careers, purposes, and points of view,” Minority Behavioral Health Group founder and CEO Jeffrey Dennis said. “We will individually and collectively arrive at action plans that are on paths of healing and wellness.”

Love Akron and Minority Behavioral Health Group will utilize the funds as part of contract finalizations with the ADM Board who oversees disbursement.

“The ADM Board is proud to support these much-needed resources for our community,” Summit County ADM Board Executive Director Aimee Wade said. “Love Akron and Minority Behavioral Health Group now have additional resources to help serve our community at a crucial time.”