Not listed
THIS PROJECT, CULTIVATING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH IN RURAL AND RESERVATION COMMUNITIES, IS DESIGNED TO COMBAT THE ALARMING INCREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND OPIOID MISUSE AMONG RURAL AND AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH IN MONTANA, BY EXPANDING DELIVERY OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH AWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH (YAM) PROGRAM THROUGH EXTENSION FACULTY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. GIVEN THAT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS IN ADOLESCENCE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK FOR OPIOID MISUSE (DAVIS ET AL., 2017), EXPERTS HAVE CALLED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDRESSES OPIOID MISUSE, OVERDOSE, AND SUICIDE (RANADE ET AL., 2020). YAM IS AN IDEAL RESPONSE TO THIS CALL BECAUSE IT IS A MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS ADOLESCENTS TO DEVELOP LIFE-LONG RESILIENCE SKILLS SHOWN TO HELP YOUNG ADULTS AVOID HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS THAT CAN LEAD TO POOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SUBSTANCE MISUSE, SEVERE PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS, AND SUICIDE (WASSERMAN ET AL., 2015). RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT YAM IS AN EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO INCREASING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION IN RURAL AND RESERVATION CONTEXTS (BAILEY ET AL., 2021). AS A UNIVERSAL MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM, YAM CAN BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR OPIOID ISSUES. IN ADDITION, PROJECT OUTCOMES OF INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH AND REDUCED OPIOID MISUSE WILL BENEFIT COMMUNITIES AT-LARGE THROUGH REDUCED TAX-PAYER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SOCIAL SERVICES.YAM IS A RESEARCH-BASED, NON-FORMAL EDUCATION PREVENTION PROGRAM DELIVERED BY EXTENSION FACULTY USING A STRENGTHS-BASED PERSPECTIVE TO PROMOTE RURAL AND AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND REDUCE OPIOID MISUSE. YAM IS DELIVERED IN FIVE ONE-HOUR SESSIONS, OVER A THREE TO FIVE-WEEK PERIOD, TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR AND ASSISTANT. THE CORE OF THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF AN OPENING INFORMATIONAL DISCUSSION DESIGNED TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND TO REDUCE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING IT. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY THREE STUDENT-DRIVEN ROLE-PLAY SESSIONS WHICH ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR OWN STRESSES, WHILE FINDING SOLUTIONS TO DIFFICULT SITUATIONS AND DEVELOPING POSITIVE COPING SKILLS IN A FUN AND NONTHREATENING MANNER. TOPICS THAT ARE COVERED INCLUDE BULLYING, PEER PRESSURE, FAMILY STRESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SUICIDE. PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS PAID TO HOW STUDENTS CAN FIND A TRUSTING ADULT TO ASSIST IN GETTING HELP FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. THE FINAL DAY OF THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR ANY TOPICS THAT NEED TO BE REVISITED AND FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IF THEY OR A FRIEND SHOULD NEED ADDITIONAL HELP.THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE CERTIFICATION OF 10 NEW YAM INSTRUCTORS FOR MONTANA. THE YAM PROGRAM WILL BE DELIVERED IN 23 MONTANA RURAL AND RESERVATION SCHOOLS AND REACH 3,060 STUDENTS OV,ER THE LIFE OF THE GRANT. THE IMPACT OF PROJECT (REDUCTION IN MISUSE OF OPIOIDS, DECREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA, AND INCREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY, HEALTHY COPING SKILLS, AND RESILIENCE SKILLS) WILL BE ASSESSED BY COLLECTING PRE AND POST SELF-REPORT SURVEY DATA. THE EFFICACY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND FEASIBILITY OF THE YAM PROGRAM WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH COLLECTION OF INTERVIEW DATA. THIS PROJECT WILL ENGAGE IMPORTANT SETS OF PARTNERS -- THE UNIVERSITY, EXTENSION, RURAL AND RESERVATION COMMUNITIES, AND RURAL AND RESERVATION SCHOOLS -- TO WORK TOGETHER TO DELIVER YAM FOCUSED ON HEALTH LITERACY AND POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH. THIS COMBINATION OF STAKEHOLDERS AND CONTENT FOCUS WILL INCREASE RURAL AND AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENTS' HEALTHY AND SAFE CHOICES AND HELP TO BUILD HEALTHY AND SAFE COMMUNITIES FOR ALL.
$240.4k 8/21/23