Morehouse School of Medicine, Families First Bolster Expansion of Healthcare Services on Atlanta's Westside
MSM child and adolescent psychiatry clinic partners with nonprofit to serve young patients at new location.
By Rachel Cohen Noebes, The Atlanta Business Chronicle
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is working with Families First to bring Atlanta's underserved Westside communities additional mental health resources.
MSM and Families First are opening the new mental health services center at 80 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, according to a press release. It is about a two-minute drive from the Atlanta University Center, the largest association of historically Black colleges and universities including MSM, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, and Spelman College.
Families First CEO Paula Moody said in a prepared statement, “Responding to the needs of people struggling with mental health challenges can't be addressed by one agency. It takes a team of organizations to help break the stigma, treat trauma, and provide mental health services to everyone regardless of their circumstances." A childhood and psychiatry attending physician, fellow trainee and psychiatry residents will make up the center's staff. It will focus on supporting the mental health recovery of children, teens, and young adults up to 21 years old.
Morehouse School of Medicine and Families First are part of a larger expansion of health care services on Atlanta's Westside. Recently, Chris 180, an organization focused on behavioral health and child welfare, received $300,000 to support its program for low-income residents in Westside neighborhoods. It was part of $1.5 million UnitedHealthcare pledge to six Georgia nonprofits to expand and bolster health care in underserved communities.
Founded in 1975, MSM is one of the most prestigious Black medical schools in the nation. It recently named Wayne Martin as its new vice president of government affairs. Martin, a former Starbucks executive with Atlanta ties, will lead MSM on local, state, and federal government issues, the Chronicle reported.
For over 130 years, Families First has served some of Georgia’s most vulnerable. It assists people navigating the social services systems by providing counseling. It also offers resources to parents during the adoption or fostering process.