CMHC Awarded Grant from Community Foundation of Switzerland County

The funds will be used to purchase a life-saving device.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Community Mental Health Center, Inc., Lawrenceburg, has been awarded funds by the Community Foundation of Switzerland County, Inc. (CFSCI) to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED) device for CMHC’s office in Vevay. 

Services offered at CMHC’s Vevay Office include outpatient services, intensive family services, school-based services, addiction services, and integrated behavioral health and primary health care. 

CMHC has been planning to work toward placing AEDs in as many of its locations as possible. This grant for just over $1,300 will allow the agency to obtain what it hopes will be the first of many AEDs for its facilities. 

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, and AEDs are one tool that can be used to prevent or reduce such deaths. It is estimated that more than 300,000 deaths occur each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Health data indicates that the chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest are significantly increased by use of AEDs. 

“We appreciate the generosity of the Community Foundation of Switzerland County. This is the beginning of providing our staff with another tool that may help save someone’s life,” said Greg Duncan, CMHC President & Chief Executive Officer.  

“CMHC’s mission is to provide integrated behavioral and primary healthcare. We want the communities we serve to know we’re invested in keeping them health and safe.” 

CMHC uses a network of facilities in Batesville, Brookville, Lawrenceburg, St. Leon, and Vevay to provide services in Southeastern Indiana. The Center offers an array of services, including outpatient counseling, substance use disorder services, inpatient hospitalization, community and school-based services, integrated primary and behavioral health care, employment services, and housing services for individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses. CMHC employs professional staff, from case managers to psychiatrists, to provide these services. 

If you, or a friend or a neighbor, are dealing with depression, anger, stress, substance use problems or addiction, grief, or another mental health issue, please contact CMHC at (812) 537-1302, or visit our website at www.cmhcinc.org to find an office near you. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (812) 537-1302, or toll-free at 1-877-849-1248. 

All CMHC services are provided without regard to race, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, color, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political belief, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.