ISU’s Institute for Rural Health Awarded $1.4 Million to Build Public Health AmeriCorps

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 6, 2022
Media Contact: Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho State University’s Institute for Rural Health (IRH) received more than $1.4 million in to expand public health across Idaho. The funding award comes from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and national service, which is part of Public Health AmeriCorps.

It will support 72 AmeriCorps members who will be placed across Idaho to increase the capacity of public health organizations, including providing suicide prevention and intervention training.

Logo: AmeriCorps IdahoWith this new funding, the IRH will leverage the skills and experience of AmeriCorps members throughout Idaho to expand capacity of public health agencies and increase the number of suicide prevention trainings offered throughout the state. This funding will also support members’ interests in learning more about public health careers and continuing to serve in the public health sector.

These AmeriCorps members will become certified suicide prevention interventionists as well as expand existing programs and services currently offered by public health agencies.

“It is with much gratitude and appreciation that we welcome this award to expand the capacity of public health agencies and to increase the availability of mental health resources in Idaho,” Jana Bodily-Roan, Project Director of the AmeriCorps program, said.

Public Health AmeriCorps, a national partnership between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supports the recruitment, training and development of a new generation of public health leaders.

Supported by a five-year, $400 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act, Public Health AmeriCorps will help meet public health needs of local communities by providing surge capacity and support while also creating pathways to public health-related careers.

The program in Idaho will launch in July and is looking for members to serve across the state as well as host sites. To learn more about the program contact the Institute for Rural Health at (208) 282-4436 or IRH@isu.edu.

AmeriCorps continues to invest in the nation’s COVID-19 recovery. With existing programs in more than 40,000 locations across the country, AmeriCorps is positioned to bolster community response efforts.

For the past two years, thousands of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers across all U.S. states and territories have continued their service, adapting to meet the changing needs caused by the pandemic and have provided support, community response and recovery efforts, providing support to more than 12 million Americans, including 2.5 million people at vaccination sites.

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To learn more about the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors Programs operating in Idaho visit https://serveidaho.gov/AmeriCorps or our Facebook page at https://facebook.com/ServeIdaho.

Serve Idaho, a division of the Idaho Department of Labor, encourages voluntary public service and volunteerism throughout the state. The Serve Idaho Commission is funded in part by AmeriCorps and the Idaho Department of Labor.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term or onetime volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

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