News Releases

DMH received notice on March 24, 2025 that SAMHSA-provided COVID grants available to the state during FY25 were being discontinued immediately. The total amount of these grants that was available for distribution to providers during FY25 was $10,959,626. Of that, $3,424,365.23 has been reimbursed to providers as of March 24, with $7,535,260.77 remaining. These had […]

Identify. Understand. Respond. Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, early-intervention course that teaches participants about mental health and substance use challenges. It is a skills-based training course that teaches participants to identify, understand and respond to these challenges – we generally know how to refer someone for help when they’re showing signs of a […]

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health has released a 988 and Suicide Prevention Guide for Schools, offering a toolkit to guide conversations about this difficult topic and point Mississippians to resources available to provide hope for those impacted by suicide. In Mississippi, suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults […]

The finalized version of the 2024 Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Community Service Providers is now available here on the DMH web site and has been published on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s web site as well. The 2024 Operational Standards will become effective […]

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is excited to share a major enhancement to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that will further improve access to mental health services. As of September 17, georouting is officially live for T-Mobile and Verizon U.S. wireless carriers. This new feature allows calls from help-seekers with these carriers […]

Thanks to a new collaboration between the Macarthur Justice Center and the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH), Mississippians in local jails now have direct access to mental health resources and services. The new MacArthur Forensic Navigator Program focuses on those areas where mental health services connect to the criminal justice system. The program will […]

Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council Community Feedback Survey Because every state is different, each state can decide the best ways to use federal grant funding dedicated to helping adults and children with mental illness and substance use disorder live successfully in the community. Your answers on this survey are anonymous, and your feedback is […]

Updated Post An additional public comment period is open regarding the proposed revisions to the DMH Operational Standards. On June 21, 2024, DMH filed proposed revisions to the 2020 DMH Operational Standards with the Secretary of State’s Office, designated as System Number 27554. The public comment period for this filing ended on July 16, 2024. […]

In this episode of Real Hope, we meet Tara Roberts, a certified peer support specialist with Youth Villages. With over four years of experience and a personal journey as a parent of children with mental health diagnoses, Tara offers invaluable support to families facing similar challenges. Her lived experience and extensive training allow her to […]

Save the date for the 36th annual Mental Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities conference, which will be held November 6th – 8th, at the Golden Nugget Casino in Biloxi, MS.  This year’s theme is: “Beyond Barriers: Innovations and Solutions for a Better Mississippi.” The MH/IDD Joint Conference Committee is now accepting proposals for presentations and posters. The forms […]

DMH Prioritizes Training for Law Enforcement Officers During Mental Health Awareness Month [JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI] —During Mental Health Awareness Month and Law Enforcement Appreciation Week, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) highlights its commitment to enhancing public safety and supporting individuals experiencing mental health crises through Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and Mental Health First […]

Throughout 2024, we are sharing Real Hope, a monthly video series bringing you real stories of hope, from real Mississippians, about real recovery and resiliency. We want you to hear first-hand from someone in our state who has received the services and supports you learned about in last year’s 52 Weeks of Progress campaign. In […]

In 2023, the Mississippi Legislature introduced and passed House Bill 1222, known as the Mississippi Collaborative Response to Mental Health Act. Section 2 of this bill addresses collaboration between mental health practitioners and law enforcement agencies throughout the state, requiring both county and municipal law enforcement agencies to receive training in Mental Health First Aid […]

Mississippi State Hospital is the state’s only inpatient forensic mental health service provider serving all 82 counties in the state. With limited bed capacity for many years, many people have had to wait for services. In the fall of 2024, MSH will have renovations complete on a new maximum-security facility which will provide Mississippi with: […]

On average, one person in the United States dies by suicide every 11 minutes. In Mississippi, 421 lives were lost to suicide and 107,000 adults had thoughts of suicide in the last year. There are 431,000 adults in Mississippi who have a mental health condition and 120,000 adults who have a serious mental illness. Mental […]

The Mississippi Board of Mental Health signed a proclamation supporting the expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in Mississippi. CCBHCs are designed to provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use disorder services to vulnerable individuals; with an emphasis on the provision of 24-hour crisis care, utilization of evidence-based practices, care […]