Project Grant H79SM084758

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING FOR ADULTS ASSISTING YOUNG PEOPLE AND TEENS ASSISTING THEIR PEERS - IF FUNDED BY THE SAMSHA MHAT GRANT, EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT (ESD) 123 INTENDS TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS TO TRAIN BOTH SPANISH-SPEAKING AND ENGLISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FAMILIES, 10TH GRADE STUDENTS, SCHOOL STAFF, AND OTHER RELATED WORKFORCE ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (YMHFA) AND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (TMHFA), WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH INDIVIDUALS HOW TO IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, AND RESPOND TO SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN ADOLESCENTS (12-18), OUR POPULATION OF FOCUS. THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, DECREASE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES SUCH AS SUICIDE, AND INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ESD 123 WILL UTILIZE THE GRANT FUNDS TO TRAIN APPROXIMATELY 8,545 INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ESD 123 SERVES 23 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 7 COUNTIES OF SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON. THROUGH DEDICATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, ESD 123 PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN NAVIGATING COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND ACCESS TO CARE FOR YOUTH. THE PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN BENTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES WHICH HAVE A COMBINED POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 290,000 PEOPLE. IN BENTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT HISPANIC/LATINO POPULATION THAT HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, INCREASING FROM 40,838 (21% OF TOTAL POPULATION) IN 2000, TO 91,783 (32% OF TOTAL POPULATION) IN 2017. THE REGION HAS A SUBSTANTIAL SPANISH-SPEAKING POPULATION. IN PASCO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MAJORITY (54%) OF THE POPULATION OVER 5 YEARS OF AGE SPOKE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN THE HOME, PREDOMINANTLY SPANISH. GIVEN THE GROWING HISPANIC/LATINO POPULATION IN BENTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAININGS OFFERED IN SPANISH, YET NONE ARE CURRENTLY OFFERED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. IF FUNDED BY THE SAMSHA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING GRANT, BY THE END OF YEAR 2 OF THE PROJECT, ESD 123 WILL PROVIDE 8 YMHFA TRAININGS IN SPANISH TO 240 SPANISH- SPEAKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED A VULNERABLE POPULATION WHO ARE MORE AFFECTED BY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. BARRIERS TO ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES INCLUDE STIGMA RELATED TO RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND A LACK OF FUNDING FOR TREATMENT. THERE IS A CONCERN WITH YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND RISING YOUTH SUICIDE IN BENTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BENTON COUNTY HAD A SUICIDE RATE OF 12.4 (PER 100,000) FROM 2013 TO 2017, COMPARED TO THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE, WHICH WAS A RATE OF 11.6. OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE TRAGIC IMPACT OF SUICIDE AMONG OUR YOUTH. THIS HAS LED TO THE INCREASED NEED FOR PREVENTING YOUTH SUICIDE AND DESTIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH. THE SPECIFIC OUTCOME THAT ESD 123 HOPES TO ACHIEVE IS TO HAVE 50% OF PARTICIPANTS IN YMHFA AND TMHFA TRAININGS REPORT INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN KNOWING WHEN TO REFER YOUTH TO SERVICES.