Project Grant H79SM084666

NLBHA MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING COLLABORATIVE - THE CONTIGUOUS SISTER COMMUNITIES OF EL PASO COUNTY, TX, DONA ANA COUNTY, NM AND CIUDAD JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE PASO DEL NORTE REGION (PDN). A TOTAL 2.5 MILLION METROPOLITAN PEOPLE, MAKING IT THE LARGEST BILINGUAL AND BINATIONAL WORKFORCE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. THE PDN REGION IN THE U.S. IS HOME TO A PRIMARILY HISPANIC/LATINO (H/L) POPULATION OF 1,060,397. THE U.S. CENSUS ESTIMATES THAT EL PASO COUNTY'S POPULATION IS 82.9% H/L OF WHICH, 66% SPEAK SPANISH AND DONA ANA COUNTY'S POPULATION IS 69$ HL AND 36% SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. THE H/L DEMOGRAPHIC MAKE-UP OF BOTH COMMUNITIES HAS IMPORTANT RAMIFICATIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO TREATMENT. THE RECENT TRAUMATIC EVENTS THAT HAVE HAD SEVERE NEGATIVE MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PDN REGION INCLUDE: 1.) THE 2019 EL PASO WALMART MASS SHOOTING/DOMESTIC TERRORIST ATTACK BY A WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO TARGETED AND MURDERED 23 INDIVIDUALS, WHICH STIMULATED A COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND 2.) THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WHICH IS PREDICTED TO HAVE LONG-LASTING EFFECTS ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WITH SUICIDES AND DEATHS FROM SUBSTANCE USE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS A RESULT OF SOCIAL ISOLATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND RELATED FACTORS; AND, SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE LASTING IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE PROVIDER SYSTEM SUCH AS THE EMERGENCE OF TELE-HEALTH AS A PREFERRED TREATMENT TOOL. EL PASO COUNTY ITS ONE OF THE NATION'S COVID-19 HOTSPOTS FOR INFECTIONS, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS. ACCORDING TO THE 2013 NEW MEXICO YOUTH RISK AND RESILIENCY SURVEY, DONA ANA RISK BEHAVIORS FOR GRADES 9-12 IDENTIFY 30.7% OF STUDENTS FELT SAD OR HOPELESS, 11.4% ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, AND 22.6% FIRST DRANK BEFORE THE AGE OF 13 AND 36.6% ARE CURRENTLY DRINKING. WHILE DELIVERING MUCH NEEDED MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING INCREASES KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL-BUILDING, NLBHA STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT COMMUNITY BUILDING, FOLLOW UP AND IMPLEMENTATION TRACKING WILL ENSURE THE NEEDLE IS MOVING FORWARD IN THE PDN. THROUGH THE PROPOSED LEARNING COLLABORATIVE (LC), NLBHA WILL DELIVER MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING WHILE INTENTIONALLY PAIRING TRAINING WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA). THE LC WILL PROVIDE THE TRAINEES WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION PRE-TRAINING BY EXPLORING ITEMS SUCH AS GAPS IN SERVICE, SPECIFIC STRESSORS EXPERIENCED BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINEES TO COLLABORATE BEYOND THE TRAININGS THEY ARE ATTENDING. POST-TRAINING TA WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPLORING SKILL DEVELOPMENT, UNCOVERING AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS TOO IMPLEMENTATION, AND PROVIDE REFRESHER MODULES. THIS LC DELIBERATELY FOCUSES ON CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICE DELIVERY BY BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY, TRUSTING COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ADAPT SERVICES TO FIT THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AND TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS BY ENHANCING THE LOCAL CAPACITY.