New Orleans Health Care Briefs: October 15, 2007

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J., has given $1.2 million for a two-year project to improve mental health care in New Orleans.

The Health and Resilience Project grant is going to the Santa Monica, Calif.-based nonprofit Rand Corp. for the Rapid Evaluation and Action for Community Health in New Orleans project.

The project's goal is to "develop improved, culturally appropriate mental health services in New Orleans," Rand claims.

Since the 2005 hurricanes, New Orleans citizens face increased stress while mental health services have been reduced, said Benjamin Springgate, project director and an adjunct scientist at Rand.

Mental illness has more than doubled in the two years since Hurricane Katrina, Rand said. One-third of New Orleans residents have symptoms of mental illness, and one in six have moderate to severe cases.

The project runs through August 2009. It will help faith-based organizations, clinics and community groups develop at least two Health and Resilience Centers to address mental health problems in community-based settings, Springgate said.