Project Grant H79SM084362

LOUISIANA TRAINING EXPANSION NETWORK (L-TEN) FOR MENTAL HEALTH - THE L-TEN PROJECT SEEKS TO UTILIZE THE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT) GRANT TO IMPLEMENT A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAM, USING A NATIONAL EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM, MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA), AND BUILD ROBUST LOCALIZED REFERRAL SYSTEMS IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES OF LOUISIANA. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, OFFICES OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (LA OBH) AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (LA OCD), LOUISIANA COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM (LCTCS), AND LOUISIANA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION (LRHA), L-TEN WILL IMPLEMENT 60 VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS ACROSS LOUISIANA, TRAINING 1,500 INDIVIDUALS. THIS PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON 11 LOUISIANA PARISHES (COUNTIES), WHICH RANGE FROM URBAN TO RURAL AND NATURAL DISASTER-PRONE AREAS. ONE COMMON THREAD TIES THESE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, EACH PRIORITIZED AREA IS HOME TO AN LCTCS MAIN CAMPUS. TARGETED PARISHES INCLUDE: BOSSIER, EAST BATON ROUGE, RAPIDES, ORLEANS, OUACHITA, TERREBONNE, TANGIPAHOA, ST. BERNARD, WEBSTER, ASCENSION, AND CALCASIEU. MOST OF THE TARGETED PARISHES ARE RURAL. THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS INCLUDE: LCTCS SCHOOL PERSONNEL (ADMINISTRATIVE, SECURITY, COACHES, INSTRUCTORS/FACULTY, PROGRAM LEADS), AND STUDENTS; LRHA MEMBERS, INCLUDING RURAL HEALTH CENTER (RHC) PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, ANCILLARY STAFF, ADMINISTRATION AND SECURITY, AND INDIVIDUALS SERVED. THE LA OCD - CASEWORKERS THAT SERVE POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY DISASTER AND EMERGENCIES. INDIVIDUALS SERVED BY THESE ENTITIES, INCLUDE VETERANS AND RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS (ROTC), EDUCATORS/TEACHERS, AND INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY DISASTERS AND EMERGENCY EVENTS, BOTH YOUTH AND ADULT, AND RURAL AND URBAN. THE GOALS OF L-TEN ARE TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND PARTNERS TO RECOGNIZE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO SAFELY DE-ESCALATE A CRISIS, TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MHFA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN RURAL HEALTH CENTERS, COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES, DISASTER CASEWORKERS, AND VETERANS, AND TO INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RESOURCES, SUPPORT SYSTEMS, AND REFERRALS IN LOUISIANA. PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE UTILIZING 8 CERTIFIED ADULT MHFA INSTRUCTORS AND UP TO 3 YOUTH MHFA INSTRUCTORS; TRAIN A MINIMUM OF 1,500 INDIVIDUALS IN MHFA (200 IN YR 1, 325 IN YR 2, 325 IN YR 3, 325 IN YR4, 325 IN Y5); TRACK AND ASSESS THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS REFERRED TO SUPPORTIVE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND CREATE AND DISSEMINATE A MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE, SERVICE SUPPORT, AND REFERRAL INFORMATION GUIDE AND MATERIALS.