Lincoln Invests in Mental Health Programs

The city of Lincoln wants to eliminate the stigma around mental illness during this mental health awareness month. Lincoln will receive federal grants totaling $1.1 million for juvenile programs. The city will reallocate and invest $150,000 of its own budget for mental health initiatives.

Calls for mental health help have increased over the past few years and COVID-19 has spiked that increase.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird says the city’s budget will be used in several ways for mental health services.

“We are deploying our budgeted program dollars in three key areas. We will strengthen existing partnerships to serve residents with mental health issues,” Gaylor Baird said. "We will make new investments in mental health training for our law enforcement professionals, and we will explore non-law enforcement alternatives for responding to mental health crisis incidents.”

The federal grant will be used for juvenile community services and for the implementation of a pretrial mental health diversion program for young people.

Lincoln's officials have also decided to hire a mental health coordinator to work with law enforcement.