Mental health

A new program is being introduced in several far western Kentucky school districts to help connect students, staff and their families with mental health resources in their area.

Two Kentucky educational cooperatives will receive $16.9 million to train, employ, and retain mental health counselors in school districts across western and central Kentucky.

Mental health experts say the aftermath of a mass shooting brings up complex feelings, but finding community can help people cope.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded nearly $3 million to Murray State University’s College of Education and Human Services and West Kentucky Educational Cooperative to place mental health providers in several western Kentucky school districts.

Kentucky lawmakers are advancing a bill to provide more resources for pregnant people with depression.

Four non-profit mental health agencies are creating a partnership to form one of the largest community mental health centers to serve counties across western, central, and south-central Kentucky.

After reports of violence from Kentucky’s juvenile detention facilities, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear announced a series of fixes, including raising pay for guards and other workers, boosting security and separating youth inmates by gender and severity of offense.

Murray State University police are seeing a significant increase in mental health and welfare checks — 53% more over the last academic year. University officials said the rise in calls is both indicative of a surge in students struggling with their mental health and a sign of raising awareness of the issue.

Kentucky students addressed a committee of state legislators about how youth view and care for their mental health and about the resources they’re missing.

More than six months after the December tornado outbreak, many western Kentucky residents are looking for mental health resources to help them navigate the trauma caused by the disaster.