Public Health AmeriCorps

The mission of App State's Public Health AmeriCorps is to improve lives, strengthen communities and foster civic engagement through service and volunteerism.

Every day in communities across the country, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers work directly with national, regional, or local nonprofit and community organizations to meet critical community needs.

Public Health AmeriCorps members will be leading the dissemination and implementation of Psychological First Aid (PFA) interventions to communities, organizations, and professionals.

Meeting Needs in Western North Carolina

In the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, local health departments have identified a major need around mental health interventions to support health preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery:

  • 72% of children in NC with diagnosed behavior conditions have not met with a licensed mental health provider
  • Western NC saw suicide rates double from 2014-2018
    • 10-24 year olds in western NC are at a 30% higher risk of suicide and 65 and older have a 22% higher risk
    • 1,398 suicides occured during 2014-2018, 80.5% were male and 72.9% were white or caucasian
    • 19.7 is the average age of suicide

Services will be provided across 25 different counties in western North Carolina: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Ruthe.

Appalachian State Public Health

AmeriCorps North Carolina


The Public Health AmeriCorps program is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service in the Office of Governor Roy Cooper.



App State Public Health AmeriCorps Members

Photo of Em Baker

Em Baker

Photo of Abby Cope

Abby Cope

Photo of Lauren Elliott

Lauren Elliott

Photo of Aidan Estes

Aidan Estes

Photo of Michael Goins

Michael Goins

Photo of Lucille Gould

Lucille Gould

Photo of Samantha McNeill

Samantha McNeill

Photo of Karen Perez

Karen Perez

Photo of Kira Plummer

Kira Plummer

Photo of Matthew Schram

Matthew Schram

Photo of Damon Scott

Damon Scott

Photo of Mary Haven Tillman

Mary Haven Tillman

Photo of Salma Treish

Salma Treish

Photo of Phoebe Warren

Phoebe Warren