Warren-Yazoo Mental Health Service 

August 1, 2007 (Vicksburg, MS) – Warren-Yazoo Mental Health Service has been awarded two grants to provide Healthy Marriage Initiatives in Warren and Yazoo Counties. The grant programs are funded by the Mississippi Department of Human Service Division of Economic Assistance and are for a fourteen month period beginning August 1, 2007.

In Warren County, Warren-Yazoo Mental Health Service is partnering with the Behavioral Health Foundation of Central Mississippi, Vicksburg Family Development, the Good Shepherd Community Center, Grove Street MB Church, and Triumph MB Church/Kings Empowerment Center to provide marriage enhancement activities. This initiative will provide resources to increase the coordination and collaboration of community serving non-profit organizations which are able to provide evidenced-based relationship skills or marriage strengthening strategies to the community and to maximize the social impact of these organizations in the provision of these services.

Goals of this initiative are:

(1) to advocate for strong healthy marriages in Warren County,

(2) to increase fathers’ involvement in the lives of their children; and

(3) to reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies in Warren County.

This initiative will assert the values of a marriage model which puts children first and is based on a full sense of mutuality and equal regard between husband and wife. Our goal is to reach and teach couples about the meaning, purpose, and responsibilities of marriage; to help young adults to increase relationship skills that lead to satisfying, enduring marriage; and to help married couples strengthen their marriage when stressors occur that are detrimental to the family. The grant funds provide a resource to low income individuals, couples, and families that might not otherwise be able to access such services.

Project activities will include a public awareness campaign on the value of marriage and skills to increase marital health, a marriage enrichment retreat, relationship skills workshops, a pre-marital education workshop, couples relationship inventory assessments, an engaged couples retreat, and continued development of a coalition of civic leaders and resident representatives to guide and promote the initiative.