Project Grant H79FG000933

MENTAL WELLBEING EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR NEW YORKERS AT NEIGHBORHOOD CARE - THE MENTAL WELLBEING EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR NEW YORKERS AT NEIGHBORHOOD CARE CROWN HEIGHTS WILL PROVIDE CULTURALLY COMPETENT MENTAL WELLBEING EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. WE WILL OFFER SEVERAL APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING MENTAL WELLBEING CHALLENGES AND NEEDS, FREE OF COST. INCLUDING OUR TWO TO SIX-WEEK LONG SERIES FOCUSED ON FAMILY AND HOME LIFE OR ON LIFE AS NEW YORKERS, INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS, AND SUPPORTIVE DISCUSSIONS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO AFRICAN AMERICAN, LATINX, ASIAN, AND LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE AIM TO SERVE A TOTAL OF 2,400 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THIS PROJECT, INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH MENTAL WELLBEING TOPICS, AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND AWARENESS OF MENTAL WELLBEING SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN CROWN HEIGHTS. EMBLEMHEALTH NEIGHBORHOOD CARE PROVIDES IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE, ACCESS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND PROGRAMMING TO FIT THE CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC NEEDS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES IN OUR 13 SITES ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND. THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY, WHERE WE HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTED LOCAL PARTNERS SINCE 2016 TO A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. BASED ON 2021 CENSUS DATA, 40% OF INDIVIDUALS IN CROWN HEIGHTS ARE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 20% ARE HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND 6% ARE ASIAN. THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER SERVE THESE COMMUNITIES THROUGH CULTURALLY COMPETENT EDUCATION AND RESOURCES TAILORED TO THEIR NEEDS, INCLUDING IN SPANISH AND HAITIAN CREOLE AS APPROPRIATE. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF VARIOUS GROUP CLASSES AND DISCUSSIONS, THE FACILITATION OF SUPPORTIVE CONVERSATIONS, AND THE CREATION OF CULTURALLY SENSITIVE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MATERIALS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY. WE WILL MEASURE OUR GOAL OF INCREASING ENGAGEMENT WITH MENTAL WELLBEING TOPICS IN THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY BY TRACKING AND AIMING TO INCREASE TOTAL ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES AND SUPPORTIVE DISCUSSIONS BY 10% EVERY QUARTER. TO MEASURE OUR GOAL OF INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND AWARENESS OF MENTAL WELLBEING SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THIS COMMUNITY WE WILL HOLD AT LEAST 10 CLASSES PER MONTH, POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT LEAST TWICE EVERY MONTH, AND DISTRIBUTE FLYERS AT FOUR OR MORE EVENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT YEAR. THIS PROJECT WILL BE DEVELOPED AND LED BY A COMBINATION OF EXISTING STAFF AND NEWLY HIRED CONSULTANT STAFF INCLUDING NEW YORK CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS AND A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER. OUR EXISTING STAFF AND CONSULTANT SPECIALISTS TO BE HIRED HAVE/WILL HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN DIVERSE SETTINGS AND THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY. AS A TRUSTED PARTNER SERVING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE ENSURE OUR MENTAL WELLBEING PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES ARE CULTURALLY COMPETENT, HELP REDUCE STIGMA, AND PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LEARN, CONNECT, AND GROW. THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW US TO BOLSTER AND REFINE THE MENTAL WELLBEING RESOURCES AND SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO THIS COMMUNITY, AND ULTIMATELY HELP ENSURE HEALTHIER FUTURES FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.