Words for Good® is excited to share that Community Health Network has been awarded $1.6 million from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for its “Improving Physical and Mental Health for People with Serious Mental Illness” project. The project, a collaborative between Gallahue Mental Health Centers, Aspire Indiana, Inc., and the Jane Pauley Community Health Center, will integrate primary care into four east-central Indiana behavioral health sites to serve seriously mentally ill patients who have or at risk for co-occurring primary care conditions and/or chronic illnesses. The negative symptoms associated with mental illness often impede the ability to seek treatment for health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes; accordingly, people with mental illness die an average of 25 years earlier than the general population. The SAMHSA funds will support a rotating, on-site nurse practitioner at behavioral health sites in Hamilton, Madison, and Marion counties, and promote wellness through cross-disciplinary and holistic care.