Wayne finger lakes regional MH awareness training collaborative the wayne county department of mental health will lead the wayne finger lakes mental health (MH) awareness training collaborative to…

Wayne finger lakes regional MH awareness training collaborative the wayne county department of mental health will lead the wayne finger lakes mental health (MH) awareness training collaborative to improve emotional wellbeing and increase MH literacy in rural communities. To accomplish this, we will engage in strategic partnerships to (1) solidify a four county network of resources, (2) increase awareness of MH/suicide prevention, (3) reduce MH stigma through training, community engagement, and sustainability planning, and (4) address rural community barriers of transportation, poverty, equity, and inclusion. In partnership with yates, seneca, and ontario county mental health departments our goal is to increase understanding and reduce barriers for access to mental health services in our rural communities. The geographic catchment area for this collaborative is wayne, yates, ontario, and seneca counties in the finger lakes region of NYS. Predominately rural agricultural communities (POP. 258. 624) with 58.9% of population 18+ years old with 1 or more ACES1 and with 11.6% below poverty RATE2. Thus, the wayne finger lakes mental health (MH) awareness training collaborative has two primary goals: (1) mental health first aid will be utilized as a training protocol to focus on the needs of each county with prioritized attention to public safety, older adults, faith-based organizations, and underserved populations, including people of color. Specifically, instructors will teach at least 12 classes (180 people) for year one and 16 classes (240 people) for years 2-5 with a total of at least 1140 adults being certified in any of the mhfa curriculum as a mental health first aider during the 5 years of this project. (2) a community awareness campaign will be implemented to assist in reducing stigma and building capacity for emotional wellbeing. Community messaging will be disseminated across the four counties to educate our communities about mental health/addiction/ suicide prevention, highlight emotional wellness and promote access to MH resources. All our efforts are geared for continual improvement. Evaluation will include process measures to produce fidelity implementation and progress. Outcomes will be marked with clear milestones which will be monitored by our data research partner. Exceptional features of this project include training and leadership amongst collaborative entities across four counties, targeted awareness for underserved populations, and sustainability through collaborative leadership. 1 https://WWW.commongroundhealth.ORG/insights/health-behaviors 2 https://WWW.welfareinfo.ORG/poverty-rate/new-york/compare-counties-interactive