HARRISONBURG, Va. – The City of Harrisonburg is moving forward on using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help address needs related to mental and behavioral health, and substance abuse, in the community.
The application period for Harrisonburg’s ARPA Mental Health Fund opens to local organizations on Monday, May 22. This fund, approved by Harrisonburg City Council in December 2022 as a way of addressing needs brought to light during the
COVID-19 pandemic, is designed to support organizations providing mental and behavioral health services, with an emphasis on services to low-income, underserved, uninsured, and/or underinsured individuals and families.
The need to address issues related to mental and behavioral health and substance abuse arose during the City’s ARPA public engagement process, where community members had the opportunity to provide feedback on how federal ARPA funds should
be allocated. Improving community mental and physical health emerged from the process as a top public priority.
“As I spoke with people in our community about how the pandemic had impacted their families, one of the things I heard again and again is that social distancing, job losses and many of the other side effects of the pandemic seriously impacted mental
health and substance use challenges for many,” Mayor Deanna Reed, a leading voice in the community on tackling such issues, said. “This Mental Health Fund recognizes that improving mental health and wellness of all in our community is crucial to
ensuring a healthy and thriving Harrisonburg. I’m proud that our City Council and staff is moving forward on these efforts.”
Currently, $400,000 has been allocated for the City’s Mental Health Fund. Organizations interested in applying for funding should thoroughly review the Fund’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for details on priorities, applicant eligibility criteria and eligible uses of funds.
Find more information on eligibility criteria, the application process and required attachments at the city’s webpage, https://harrisonburgva.gov/mental-health-fund.
