USM Awarded $2.3M Grant from SAMHSA for New Psychosis Prevention Program

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:26am | By: Karelia Pitts

In partnership with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MDMH) and Mississippi State University (MSU), The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Center for Behavioral Health was awarded $2.3 million through a four-year grant from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  
 
The Center for Behavioral Health Screening, Outreach, Assessment and Resilience (CBH-SOAR) program will expand the CBH’s existing services, which include high-quality and specialized therapy, evaluation and assessment offerings provided by graduate students in USM’s accredited graduate programs in counseling, clinical and school psychology. Grant funding will allow the CBH-SOAR program to offer specialty services to treat Mississippians who are identified as at a clinical high risk of developing psychosis. The CBH-SOAR team will focus on prevention and reducing the time to treatment for those who develop psychosis.

“We're excited to have the opportunity to bring these specialized services to Mississippi. The CBH-SOAR program is the first of its kind in the state and will help us expand our reach to positively impact the lives of Mississippians,” said Dr. Kristy McRaney, director of the USM Center for Behavioral Health, assistant clinical professor in the School of Psychology, and licensed psychologist. “We're proud to be part of such an important and meaningful advancement in behavioral health care for our state.” 
 
Over 7,000 youth and young adults in Mississippi are expected to be at a clinical high risk of developing psychosis, but there are currently no services in the state targeted to identify the clinical high risk state or reduce the risk of developing psychosis. 
 
Psychosis is a mental health condition in which a person is experiencing some loss of contact with reality. They may experience things like hallucinations (the experience of perceiving things like sounds or images that are not really there) and delusions (the experience of strongly holding a false belief that may be bizarre or unlikely in the absence of any evidence). 

“I am truly delighted to have had the opportunity to partner with MDMH and MSU to bring services for those at clinical high risk of developing psychosis to the state of Mississippi,” said Dr. Kelsey Bonfils, principal investigator for the grant, licensed psychologist and Nina Bell Suggs Endowed Professor in the USM School of Psychology. “These services are on the cutting edge in the field of psychosis prevention, and the CBH-SOAR program will make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable youth and young adults in the state.” 
 
After being screened, at-risk Mississippi youth and young adults ages 14 to 25 qualify for participation in the program, and the CBH-SOAR team will offer telehealth services to optimize access in more rural areas of the state. Open Up Mississippi, a youth-led advisory group affiliated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will also be involved to raise awareness of the program and educate residents statewide. 
 
“I am very thankful for the leadership and expertise being provided by USM for this award because without the faculty at Southern Miss, this grant simply would not have been possible for the state. MSU is honored to work alongside USM and be a part of this life-changing work,” said Dr. Michael Nadorff, professor in the Department of Psychology at Mississippi State University. “It is a tremendous opportunity for the state, and as a parent of a child who will soon be entering the age range where psychosis can develop, I am grateful that these resources now exist!” 
 
Psychosis is most commonly associated with schizophrenia, a disabling mental health disorder seen in approximately one percent of the U.S. population, though not all people with psychosis have schizophrenia. As many as three percent of the population may experience a psychotic episode during their lifetime. 
 
“While it is optimal to prevent the development of psychosis, those who have psychosis or schizophrenia can still live full lives of meaning and purpose,” said Dr. Bonfils. “The CBH-SOAR program will partner with the MS Department of Mental Health’s NAVIGATE services to ensure we're helping Mississippians across the psychosis spectrum work toward achieving their life goals.” 
 
Click here for more information on the Center for Behavioral Health Screening, Outreach, Assessment and Resilience (CBH-SOAR) program.