Project Grant H79SM084389

KENNETH YOUNG CENTER'S MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROJECT - KENNETH YOUNG CENTER'S MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROJECT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITIES FOR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (CPYD) COALITION, A MULTI-SECTOR COMMUNITY COALITION SERVING CHICAGO'S NORTHWEST SUBURBS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH'S MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROGRAMS. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ADULT AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING FOR EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, PARENT AND YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL, PARENTS, LATINX PARENTS AND YOUTH AND LGBTQ IDENTIFYING YOUTH AND THEIR PARENTS. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS IS SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, FOCUSING ON UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN CHICAGO'S NORTHWEST SUBURBS IN COOK, DUPAGE, AND KANE COUNTIES. THE PROPOSED AREA COVERS 325 SQUARE MILES AND SERVES 1,019,869 RESIDENTS. DEMOGRAPHICS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 59% WHITE, 21.6% HISPANIC/LATINX, 14.9% ASIAN, 3.1% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 1.9% TWO OR MORE RACES, AND 0.14% PACIFIC ISLANDER. THE PROJECT GOAL WILL BE REACHED THOUGH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1) PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING TO 2,610 COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY SEPTEMBER 2026 2) ESTABLISH 25 LINKAGES WITH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO REFER INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS BY SEPTEMBER 2026 3) EDUCATE 2,610 INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER BY SEPTEMBER 2026 4) IMPLEMENT ONE SOCIAL MARKETING AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER TO REDUCE STIGMA ABOUT PERSONS WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS AND RAISE AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR CULTURALLY COMPETENT AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES BY SEPTEMBER 2026 AND 5) TRAIN 15 INDIVIDUALS TO BE CERTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID INSTRUCTORS BY JUNE 2022.