Project Grant H79SM085794

DRIVING TOWARDS RESILENCE - THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF WESTCHESTER WILL PROVIDE NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED, IN-HOME, AND IN-COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS IN ROCKLAND AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES IN NEW YORK BY CREATING MOBILE AND HOME-BASED SERVICES. WE INTEND TO SERVE 500 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS PER YEAR, INCLUDING ENROLLING 400 INDIVIDUALS INTO CARE THROUGH BH MOBILE UNITS AND PROVIDING FUNCTIONAL FAMILY THERAPY IN THE COMMUNITY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 100 INDIVIDUALS PER YEAR. OTHER PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE SCREENING PREVIOUSLY UNSERVED INDIVIDUALS FOR BH NEEDS AND DEPLOYING TWO CUSTOMIZED BHMOBILEUNITS WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF AWARD. OUR POPULATION OF FOCUS INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SPECIFICALLY TARGETS POOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY RACIAL BIAS AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE, WHERE THERE IS LITTLE ACCESS TO CARE. OUR POPULATION OF FOCUS INCLUDES ADULTS, CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, TRANSITIONAL-AGED YOUTH, AND FAMILIES. WE WILL TARGET INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OFTEN LEFT UNDERSERVED BECAUSE THEY EITHER LACK ACCESS TO INSURANCE, HAVE LIMITED MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH OR ARE UNABLE TO RELIABLY ACCESS TELEHEALTH SERVICES DUE TO A LACK OF INTERNET OR CELLULAR SERVICE. WE WILL PROVIDE IN-PERSON FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL THERAPY USING STRATEGIES SUCH AS FUNCTIONAL FAMILY THERAPY (FFT), COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT), MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (MI), AND SEEKING SAFETY (SS) FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION. SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE MOBILE UNIT WILL INCLUDE FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT, AND TELEHEALTH SERVICES. IN-HOME FFT SERVICES WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED. WE LOOK TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN SCREENED FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEED DUE TO A LACK OF ACCESS; INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI) OR SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED); AND INDIVIDUALS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) OR WHO HAVE A CO-OCCURRING DISORDER (COD). OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, EVIDENCE-BASED CARE DIRECTLY TO OUR TARGETED POPULATION BY BRINGING THE CARE TO THEM AND BY TARGETING SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS, ALLOWING US TO SERVE PREVIOUSLY UNREACHED COMMUNITIES. WE WILL EXPAND OUR USE OF FFT SERVICES BY EXPANDING OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE IN-HOME, FAMILY-TRAINED THERAPISTS. THIS DYNAMIC MODEL ALSO ALLOWS US TO CREATE ACCESS TO TELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR THESE COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING SUCH ACCESS THROUGH THE BHMOBILEUNITS. FINALLY, THE BHMOBILEUNITS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH TWO THERAPY ROOMS AND A MODIFIED LIVING ROOM CONCEPT FOR DE-ESCALATION OF CRISES OR PRE-CONTEMPLATIVE SERVICES. STAFFED BY CLINICIANS AND PEER SPECIALISTS, STAFF WILL ALSO USE THE TELEHEALTH TECHNOLOGY TO ACCESS PSYCHIATRY OR OTHER SERVICES.