News Releases

March is recognized around the country each year as National Intellectual and Developmental Disability Awareness Month. DMH is recognizing this event with “Celebrating Mississippians,” a continuation of an awareness campaign that began last year and recognized the unique contributions people with disabilities make to their communities. Throughout the month of March, the campaign will celebrate […]

A multi-disciplinary group gathered recently at the Department of Mental Health (DMH) Central Office to become certified as instructors in Youth Mental Health First Aid. As instructors, they will be training hopefully hundreds of Mississippi teachers, school employees, and school resource officers in the Youth Mental Health First Aid curriculum throughout the next three years. […]

The Department of Mental Health is launching a renewed suicide prevention campaign, encouraging young people throughout the state to reach out if they are experiencing thoughts of suicide. “Shatter the Silence” is a campaign of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health to encourage young people to talk through their feelings with friends and trusted adults, […]

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) consolidated budget includes all budget units under DMH. DMH is requesting an increase of $6,453,751 for Fiscal Year 2020.  This request includes: Restoration of the Legislative Budget Recommendation to FY19 level ($2,128,820) PERS employer contribution increase ($1,824,931) Expansion for mental health community-based services ($1,000,000) Expansion for the Medicaid […]

The MH/IDD Council is pleased to announce registration for the 35th Annual MH/IDD Joint Conference is now live. This year’s conference is scheduled for October 24 – 26 at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg, MS. The theme is “Best Practice, Better Future.” Conference Registration can be made online by clicking here.   Space is limited, so please […]

The Department of Mental Health has released its Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Report, covering activities of the agency from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. The report provides an overview of the services offered at DMH behavioral health programs, DMH intellectual/developmental disability regional programs, alcohol and drug services, and more. Highlights from FY18 include: […]

The Mississippi Suicide Prevention Plan Workgroup was formed in April 2016 to finalize the state’s efforts in developing a formal plan to help combat a public health issue that affects people of all ages, races, and gender – suicide. Mississippi’s State Suicide Prevention Plan was released in September 2016. The three-year plan was divided into […]

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is preparing for the impact of Tropical Storm Gordon on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Four DMH programs are located in the southern portion of the state – South Mississippi State Hospital in Purvis, Ellisville State School in Ellisville, Specialized Treatment Facility in Gulfport, and South Mississippi Regional Center […]

Registration is now available for the 2018 Trauma Informed Care Conference, scheduled for September 18 through September 21. To register, click on the following link: 2018 Trauma Conference Registration The first day of this four-day conference will focus on Law Enforcement and First Responders. Topics will include Building Resiliency: Surviving Secondary Trauma; Partnering with Local Community […]

Join DMH on September 17, 2018 at 1 p.m. for a showing of “Suicide: The Ripple Effect,” a feature length documentary film and movement, focusing on the devastating effects of suicide and the tremendous positive ripple effects of advocacy, inspiration, and hope that are helping millions heal and stay alive. The film highlights the journey […]

BATTLING THE OPIOID CRISIS JULY 12-13, 2018 BROADMOOR BAPTIST CHURCH 1531 HIGHLAND COLONY PARKWAY, MADISON, MS CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY.  Education. Training. Collaboration. Saving Lives. These are the goals of the 2018 Mississippi Opioid and Heroin Summit – an opportunity for all of us to face the epidemic that touches our families, friends and loved […]

Supporters gathered on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol on Tuesday, May 15 to hear a presentation from the Department of Mental Health, the State Department of Health, NAMI Mississippi, Mississippi Public Health Institute, and Mental Health Association of South Mississippi. In recognition of May as Mental Health Month, those agencies launched a public awareness campaign […]

In recognition of May as Mental Health Month, DMH is announcing a partnership with the Mississippi State Department of Health, NAMI Mississippi, the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi, and the Mississippi Public Health Institute. This partnership is launching an expanded public awareness campaign titled ai???Think Again,” a grassroots effort to raise awareness about mental […]

The Department of Mental Health and a number of Community Mental Health Centers are working together to offer Youth Mental Health First Aid training to educators from throughout the state. If you are an educator, do you know to recognize the signs of mental illness in a young person? Would you know how to respond […]

March 2, 2018 (Jackson, Miss.) Registration is now open for the Workforce for the Future Mississippi Behavioral Health Workforce Forum that will be March 26, 2018 in Pearl at Hinds Community College’s Clyde Muse Center. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services announced in January that it was selected to […]

March 1, 2018 (Jackson, Miss.) The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is joining thousands of people and organizations all across the country in celebrating the month of March as Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. In recognition of this event, representatives of DMH, the Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (BIDD) Advisory Council and […]

January 8, 2018 (Jackson, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services is proud to announce that it has been selected to join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, in hosting a collegiate Workforce Forum. The combination of the […]

December 8, 2017 (Jackson, Miss.) – Thanksgiving has already come and gone, Christmas and more holidays are right around the corner, and for many people, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But not for everyone. The holiday season brings happiness and cheer for many, but for others, the shorter, darker days of the […]

December 8, 2017 – What began as an effort to develop a collaborative partnership for Juvenile Outreach Programs in 2010 has turned into a sustained program that served 1,587 young people in Fiscal Year 2017. The Department of Mental Health supports 14 Juvenile Outreach Programs (JOP) operated by Community Mental Health Centers throughout the state, […]