GOWANDA, NY — The New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) announced a $500,000 grant renewal from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to continue and expand the Older Adult Rural Support (OARS) Program for a second year. 

OARS supports rural older adult mental health and wellness by enhancing community awareness, reducing mental health stigma and providing mental health training and professional development opportunities.

Now entering its second year, OARS will focus on older adult mental health advocacy and community education, and mental and behavioral health workforce development, as well as expanding its previous work.

Activities will include community outreach and engagement efforts; Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) training; educational programming for high school and college students to learn about careers in behavioral health and other health professions; continuing education opportunities for health professionals; and new virtual training modules for the OARS online learning platform.

This year OARS is implemented in coordination with a network of organizations, including Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Central New York AHEC, the Center for Health Impact, Health WorkForce New York, Hudson Mohawk AHEC, Northern AHEC, NY FarmNet, Primeau Fahey & Associates and Western New York Rural AHEC.