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Southern Alabama Area Health Education Center, or AHEC, received a one-year, $440,000 grant from the Department of Veteran Affairs Staff Sgt. Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program on Sept. 19.

The center,, a non-profit organization with an office in Georgiana that opened in December 2020, serves rural and underserved communities in four counties, including Butler and Crenshaw.

The center received this grant to help enable the organization to better serve veterans and their families in this area who are struggling with issues of suicide.

Stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, can bring on thoughts and feelings some veterans struggle to overcome.

The program hopes that a community-based approach to help bridge the gaps between education, prevention, and much-needed healthcare providers will enable veterans to receive the care and services they so deserve.

The program is designed to enhance mental health care for veterans and their families.

They work closely with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish clear and open lines of communication between veterans, their communities and their health care providers.

This circle-link approach helps improve a veteran’s access to mental health services and helps providers to identify the unmet needs of the veteran and get them the timely access to the care and solutions they need.

“I’m an Air Force Veteran, so supporting the Veterans in our communities is very near and dear to my heart,” said Vanessa Hall, Executive Director of Southern Alabama AHEC,  “We look forward to making a difference in the lives of Veterans in our communities. I’m proud of our team’s vision for supporting our Veterans and excited to see the outcome of this program.”

The center is located at 312 N. Miranda Ave. in Georgiana. The number is (334) 362-4102.

For more information, visit the center’s website at www.saahec.org. Information on the grant program can be found at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ssgfox-grants/.