Project Grant H79SM084186

ARIZONA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROJECT - EMPACT SUICIDE PREVENTION CENTER'S PROPOSED "ARIZONA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAM" (AZ-MHATP), WILL EXPAND ARIZONA'S CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI) AND/OR SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED), AND CONNECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO NEEDED SERVICES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, THE ARIZONA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP A HIGHLY TRAINED POOL OF MHFA INSTRUCTORS, INCLUDING CERTIFICATION AND EXPERTISE IN SPECIALTY MODULES SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERAN, AND YOUTH TO TRAIN 4000 INDIVIDUALS (YEAR 1 - 600, YEAR 2 - 750, YEAR 3 -850, YEAR 4-900, YEAR 5-900) WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON VETERANS, ADULTS WITH A SMI AND YOUTH WITH A SED. THESE FIRST-AIDERS ARE ANTICIPATED TO REFER APPROXIMATELY 15,125 INDIVIDUALS INTO SERVICES AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES. (YEAR 1 - 600, YEAR 2-1575, YEAR 3 -2950, YEAR 4-4250, YEAR 5-5750) EMPACT-SPC WILL LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS WITH VETERAN GROUPS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SCHOOLS TO ENSURE FOCUS ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS. THE CATCHMENT AREA FOR THIS PROJECT IS STATEWIDE ARIZONA. ARIZONA IS HOME TO NEARLY 7.3 MILLION RESIDENTS ENCOMPASSING TWO DIVERSE AND DIFFERING REGIONS: THE URBAN CENTERS OF PHOENIX- AND TUCSON-METRO COMMUNITIES WHICH ENCOMPASSES APPROXIMATELY 5.3 MILLION INHABITANTS, WITH THE BALANCE OF THE POPULATION SCATTERED ACROSS THIRTEEN RURAL COUNTIES AND TWELVE NATIVE AMERICA TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. THE POPULATION BREAKDOWN IS APPROXIMATELY: 83% WHITE, 5% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 4% ASIAN AMERICAN, 5% AMERICAN INDIAN AND 3% OTHER. 32% OF RESIDENTS ARE HISPANIC, 14% OF RESIDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY, AND 488,000 ARIZONIANS ARE VETERANS. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PROJECT'S ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE PROGRAM WILL BUILD COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH VETERAN SERVICE AGENCIES, COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AGENCIES AND SCHOOL-BASED RESOURCES. IN ADDITION, EMPACT-SPC WILL LEVERAGE ITS EXISTING COMMUNITY-BASED CRISIS SERVICES, VETERAN SPECIFIC HOTLINE, AND ITS ACCREDITED SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE CRISIS CALL CENTER, AS WELL A VARIETY OF ADDITIONAL OUTPATIENT OR COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES, SUCH AS, OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR YOUTH, FAMILY, ADULT AND INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI, TO ENSURE THAT MHFA-AIDERS HAVE ADEQUATE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO REFER TO, PROVIDING AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEANINGFUL EARLY INTERVENTION. THE AZ-MHATP IS DESIGNED TO BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE OF UNCERTAINNESS DICTATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IN ADDITION TO MHFA, AZ-MHATP INCORPORATES ADDITIONAL MODALITIES AND METHODOLOGIES SUCH AS QPR AND KOGNITO ON-LINE SIMULATIONS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO MEET THE EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE, ALLOWING THE PROGRAM TO ADAPT TO THE REALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE EBB-AND-FLOW OF THE PANDEMIC. THIS INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE IN-PERSON, VIRTUAL AND BLENDED/HYBRID TRAINING IN THIS LANDSCAPE TO MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.