Project Grant H79SM084253

HELPING OUR PEOPLE EVERYDAY (HOPE) - THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AT DALLAS (UNT DALLAS) MHAT PROJECT, HELPING OUR PEOPLE EVERYDAY (HOPE), IS TO BUILD CAPACITY IN SOUTHERN DALLAS COUNTY TO DETECT AND RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS IMPACTING YOUTH, ADULTS, AND OLDER ADULTS, AND TO CONNECT THEM TO NEEDED SERVICES. SOUTHERN DALLAS AREA WITH PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN (66.4%) AND HISPANIC (28.1%) POPULATION SUFFERS SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC DISTRESS, WITH CLOSE TO ONE IN EVERY TWO FAMILIES LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL, AND ABOUT 36% OF THE ADULT POPULATION NOT COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL. UNADDRESSED SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THIS REGION POSE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AND ELEVATED RISKS FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AND HIGH SUICIDE RATES. THE MHAT FUNDING FOR HOPE WILL SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES INFORMED BY THE EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES DEVELOPED BY THE SAMHSA EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE RESOURCE CENTER. THE PROPOSED PROJECT HOPE WILL ALLOW US TO IMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA) TRAINING TO A LARGE AUDIENCE OF INDIVIDUALS FOR WHICH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. WE PROPOSE TO: GOAL 1: TRAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL, VETERANS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AGING SERVICE PROVIDERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THE RISK FACTORS AND WARNING SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE POPULATION THEY SERVE AND TO ASSIST THESE POPULATION GROUPS IN ACCESSING RESOURCES. HOPE WILL PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA) TRAINING PROGRAM TO: 1) SCHOOL PERSONNEL, 2) VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, 3) LAW ENFORCEMENT, 4) AGING SERVICE PROVIDERS, 5) COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND 6) UNT DALLAS STUDENTS. BY END OF YEAR ONE, 800 INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE RECEIVED MHFA TRAINING. PARTICIPANTS WILL REPORT A 25% INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND A 25% DECREASE IN STIGMA. GOAL 2: EDUCATE AND EMPOWER COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, ADDRESSING THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ISSUES AND NORMALIZING HELP-SEEKING. PERVASIVE STIGMA SURROUNDS AWARENESS, SUPPORT AND TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS. HOPE WILL UTILIZE MULTIPLE FORMS OF COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH, UTILIZING EVIDENCE-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING STRATEGIES, SUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, FILM SCREENING; TABLING, DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL BROCHURES; AND EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS FOR A VARIETY OF AUDIENCES. BY END OF YEAR ONE, THE PROGRAM WILL REACH 20,000 RESIDENTS OF SOUTHERN DALLAS. OUTREACHED INDIVIDUALS WILL REPORT A 25% INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE/ATTITUDES/SKILLS AND A 25% REDUCTION IN STIGMA. GOAL 3: ESTABLISH A NETWORK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO FACILITATE ACCURATE AND APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS. HOPE WILL ASSESS OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND IDENTIFY GAPS IN THE SYSTEM, AND THEN COOPERATIVELY DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND SERVICES TOWARDS A COMMON VISION. BY END OF YEAR ONE, THREE NEW PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE CREATED, AND THERE WILL BE INCREASED RESOURCE SHARING AMONG THE PARTNERS.