Highland Rivers Foundation

PRESS RELEASE: Highland Rivers and Georgia Military College partner to support workforce development and student success

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia – Georgia Military College (GMC) recently welcomed representatives from
Highland Rivers Behavioral Health (HRBH), for a special campus visit and check presentation of $25,000 from the Highland Rivers Foundation to the GMC Foundation. The generous gift will support Highland Rivers employees pursuing higher education through GMC, helping to reduce financial barriers and expand access to degree completion.

In addition to scholarship support, GMC will award prior learning credit for two courses, “Crisis Intervention” and “First Aid and Emergency Care,” to Highland Rivers students once they complete the standardized training requirement for paraprofessionals, as approved by the Department of Community Health and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).

GMC and Highland Rivers plan to partner on an internship program to provide GMC students with valuable, hands-on learning opportunities while strengthening the talent pipeline for Highland Rivers and the broader behavioral health workforce. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to workforce development and educational advancement across the region.

“Partnerships like this demonstrate the power of collaboration in creating pathways of opportunity,” said the President of Georgia Military College, Major General Terry McKenrick, U.S. Army (Retired). “By investing in both current employees and future professionals, we are strengthening our communities and supporting long-term success.”

🌟 “This partnership is about opening doors - for our team members, for students, and ultimately for the communities we serve,” said Melanie Dallas, CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health. “When we invest in education and real-world experience, we’re not just building careers, we’re strengthening the behavioral health workforce and expanding access to care across Georgia. It matters.” 🌟

Together, Georgia Military College and Highland Rivers Behavioral Health are working to remove barriers to education, invest in professional growth, and build a stronger, more prepared workforce for Georgia.

📸 Photo: GMC-HRBH: Representatives of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health and Highland Rivers Foundation, present a check to the Georgia Military College Foundation to support scholarships for students seeking training and education in behavioral health.

▶️ Top row (left to right): Anna Walker, Senior Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director for the GMC Foundation; Jody Yearwood, Executive Vice President for Innovative Growth at GMC; Whitney Spear, Director of the Highland Rivers Foundation.

▶️ Front row (left to right): Dr. Susan Daniel, Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, GMC; Major General Terry McKenrick, U.S. Army (Retired), President of Georgia Military College; Melanie Dallas, CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health; Rodney Moore, Vice President of New Market Innovation, HRBH; and Kate Pope, Associate Vice President for Corporate & Industry Engagement, GMC.

✨Happy Holidays from the Highland Rivers Foundation!✨

We are truly grateful for all of our supporters and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

The Match Magic 2025 Giveathon, hosted by the Cobb Community Foundation, was a huge success. We raised a total of $15,059.76. Thank you to everyone who contributed, bringing us closer to building a playground for our new Mother's Making a Change facility.

Together, we can break the cycle of addiction and build brighter futures.💖

✨Our Highland Rivers Behavioral Health Board Secretary, Chinwe Okoronkwo, has pledged to give during the Match Magic 2025 Giveathon to the Mothers Making a Change Playground fundraiser.👏

💖 Here's how you can give:
1️⃣𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: https://bit.ly/49emSpY
2️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Make checks payable to Cobb Community Foundation with the organization name (Highland Rivers Behavioral Health) + amount in the memo. Date, and mail or deliver between Nov 11 - Dec 2.
3️⃣𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗥𝗔: Call (770) 859-2366 for details or see payment instructions online at https://bit.ly/47KBhYl.

Together we can give the magic of play!🪄