AHM Youth and Family Service awarded $100K

Traci Hastings, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·2 min read

Sep. 27—The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development has awarded a grant to Andover Hebron Marlborough Youth and Family Services.

"For the second year, AHM Youth and Family Services has been awarded a Directed Local Funds grant," said Joel Rosenberg, a member of AHM's Board of Directors. "The new grant will support a range of programs, services, and community initiatives for the four towns served by AHM."

In addition to Andover, Hebron and Marlborough, residents of Columbia are eligible for services.

The grant totals $100,000, and Rosenberg said that it will largely be used to train residents of the four towns in the QPR program. QPR stands for "Question, Persuade, and Refer" and the program is used to deter suicides.

Additionally, the grant will be used for AHM's Family Resource Center for preschoolers, the Youth Theater program, the Lanterns Mentoring program and counseling and mental health services.

Last year's grant launched the suicide prevention program, and was also used to enhance mental health services, as well as used toward the purchase of new technology at AHM and new playground equipment for AHM's KinderRHAMa program, which provides preschool programming at RHAM High School while high school students study child development under teacher oversight.

Rosenberg and AHM's Executive Director Tressa Giordano thanked State Senator Cathy Osten for her efforts in securing the grant.

"This grant makes it possible for AHM to bring new mental health resources, programs, and services for residents who are coping with family members struggling with trauma, depression, isolation, anxiety, and other personal struggles," Giordano said. "The grant is also helping to bring back the performing arts for young people in our communities and assuring that programs such as Lanterns remain part of our services for many more years. Our communities directly benefit from this grant award from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and we at AHM are incredibly grateful for this support."