Sonora, CA. – HealthLitNow (HLN) is pleased to announce the receipt of three grants that will enable the expansion of HLN programs in Tuolumne County. The Statewide Office of Healthcare Planning and Development (OSHPD) has awarded HLN a grant in the amount of $11,965 to provide a series of Healthcare Career Workshops to Tuolumne County students during the 2015 – 2016 academic year. The Tuolumne County Department of Behavioral Health subsequently provided an additional $10,000 grant to enhance the Healthcare Careers Workshop program which will emphasize the opportunity for careers in behavioral and mental health programs and on May 26, the Sonora Area Foundation board of directors voted to award HLN a grant in the amount of $15,080 to enhance the Healthcare Careers workshops in addition to supporting other programs underway at HLN.

Barry Hillman, Ph.D., president of HLN stated “We are pleased to have such broad community support for our programs. A growing demand for healthcare workers provides an opportunity for area youth to remain in Tuolumne County while earning a family wage income. Just as importantly, the HLN programs will bring greater awareness of health literacy to students and their families thereby enabling them to take greater personal responsibility for their health and healthcare.”

Ed Wyllie, Sonora Area Foundation Executive Director stated “For the past 25 years, the Sonora Area Foundation has been engaged in a conversation about the future of Tuolumne County. We are pleased to have an opportunity to support HLN with a focus on community Health Literacy, healthcare careers, and the future health outcomes for members of our community.”

Rita Austin, Director of Tuolumne County Behavioral Health commented “Our community has a growing need for personnel trained to address mental and behavioral health issues. HLN is providing programs that support our efforts through the Tuolumne County schools that we believe are necessary to make students aware of employment opportunities close to home. The HLN programs are complimentary to and consistent with the TCBHD’s Workforce Education and Training (WET) initiative which began in 2006 and has been updated annually”

About HealthLitNow, (www.healthlitnow.org ) is a non-profit, community based “Public Health Literacy” organization designed to enhance both short-term and long-term healthcare outcomes for K-12 students, their families, and the community at-large in Tuolumne and throughout the Sierra Region consistent with the “National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy”.

In December 2014, HealthLitNow, (www.healthlitnow.org) a 501(c)3 non-profit, was launched from the Tuolumne County Innovation Lab (www.myinnovationlab.org) to provide Public Health Literacy programs for K-12 students throughout the Tuolumne County and the Sierra Region. Public Health Literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals and groups can obtain, process, understand, evaluate, and act on information needed to make personal and public health decisions that benefit the community.

HealthLitNow has adopted a mission to enhance Public Health Literacy by engaging a broad alliance of community participants offering technical and non-technical Health Literacy programs through the Tuolumne County Innovation Lab (ILab – www.myinnovationlab.org ); the first and only rural ILab in the nation. Supporting organizations include the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA), Tuolumne County Health Department, area schools, Sonora Regional Medical Center, local government, area business, Tuolumne Me-Wuk Indian Health Center, Columbia Community College, the University of California Merced, Master Gardeners, and others. Our offices are located at 101 Hospital Rd. on the third floor of the former Tuolumne General Hospital.

About The Sonora Area Foundation ( http://sonora-area.org/ ) The Sonora Area Foundation remains focused on its mission of strengthening its communities. It does that through three functions:

Assisting Donors – The Foundation provides a safe, easy way for people and businesses to make a difference, and assures that their contributions will do good work now and in years to come.

Awarding Grants – The Foundations’ governing board has a pool of discretionary funds, and regularly awards grants to qualified non-profit and public agencies.

Leading the Community – As a respected, neutral organization, the Foundations responsibilities go beyond donor services and grant making. The Foundation is also a community leader that brings all sides into the discussion on important issues and helps find solutions.

About Tuolumne County Behavioral Health http://www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=220

Tuolumne County Behavioral Health Department’s mission is to provide respectful, culturally sensitive and strength based behavioral health services which provide wellness, self-sufficiency and recovery from mental illness and/or addiction. Services for Children, Adults, and Older Adults include: Walk-in initial brief assessment Comprehensive Assessment for services Individual and Group Counseling Mental Health Treatment, Education and Recovery Alcohol and Drug Treatment, Education and Recovery Judicial Programs, Perinatal Program for Pregnant Women and Parenting Mothers, Peer Recovery Programs, Outreach Services, Medication Evaluation and Monitoring Crisis Services.