Project Grant H79SM088039

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA), CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (CMHS), FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING GRANT (MHAT) PROGRAM. - LAWRENCE COUNTY COALITION (LCC) WAS FORMED IN 2018 TO ENHANCE THE EFFORTS OF PREVENTING AND REDUCING YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE IN THE COUNTY. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF PREVENTION EFFORTS, LCC AND ITS COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE IDENTIFIED A DEEPER ISSUE IN SUBSTANCE USE, MENTAL ILLNESS. DUE TO THE LONG-STANDING STIGMAS AND LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, THERE IS VERY LITTLE IDENTIFICATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES. EFFORTS SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES HAVE BEEN MORE ABOUT CRISIS MANAGEMENT THAN EDUCATION, PREVENTION, AND EARLY IDENTIFICATION. LAWRENCE COUNTY COALITION IS SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT) FUNDING TO HELP INCREASE OVERALL COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND SECURITY. LAWRENCE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA IS A RURAL COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OF 25,687, AND AN INFLUX OF APPROXIMATELY 4,000 COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDING BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY EVERY YEAR. LOCATED IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, LAWRENCE COUNTY IS MADE UP OF FIVE SMALL COMMUNITIES - DEADWOOD, LEAD, CENTRAL CITY, WHITEWOOD, AND SPEARFISH. IN ADDITION TO A STATE UNIVERSITY, LAWRENCE COUNTY IS HOME TO 2 PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS (K-12), 5 LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES, 5 EMERGENCY SERVICES, THE NATIONAL GUARD, AND 2 SENIOR CITIZEN CENTERS. CENSUS DATA SHOWS THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 11,109 HOUSEHOLDS WITH 17.3% OF THE POPULATION AGE 18 AND UNDER AND 22.4% AGE 65 AND OLDER. THE RACIAL MAKE-UP OF LAWRENCE COUNTY IS: 92% WHITE, 3.5% HISPANIC OR LATINO, 2.1% NATIVE AMERICAN OR ALASKA NATIVE, 1% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 0.7% ASIAN, 0.1% NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER, AND 0.8% OTHER. THESE PERCENTAGES INCLUDE THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE RACE. THE POPULATION IS 98.8% ENGLISH SPEAKING AND GENDER PERCENTAGES ARE 50.4% FEMALE AND 49.6% MALE. THE COUNTY ALSO HOLDS A 10.9% CIVILIAN VETERAN POPULATION AND 0.2% ACTIVE DUTY. (AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, 2021) LCC PLANS TO PROVIDE MHAT CURRICULUM AND DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, DEVELOP A STANDARDIZED REFERRAL PROCESS AND TRACKING SYSTEM FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, IDENTIFY COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, AND DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE MATERIALS. LCC AND ITS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WILL ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) TRAIN INDIVIDUALS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND/OR SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES. THE PROJECT WILL HAVE CERTIFIED TRAINERS IN EVIDENCE BASED MHAT PROGRAMS, AS MEASURED BY TRAINING CERTIFICATIONS EARNED BY PROJECT STAFF AND INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN 1,028 (APPROXIMATELY 300/YEAR) COMMUNITY MEMBERS (ADULTS AND TEENS) IN MHAT AS MEASURED BY PARTICIPATION AND PASSING GRADE IN MHAT CURRICULUM. (2) ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN EXISTING LINKAGES WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO REFER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES. PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WILL DEMONSTRATE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT BY EACH SUBMITTING MONTHLY REFERRAL TRACKING & BIANNUAL UPDATES. (3) TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO IDENTIFY PERSONS WITH A MENTAL DISORDER AND EMPLOY CRISIS DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES. POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL DISORDERS AND EMPLOY CRISIS DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES AS MEASURED BY PARTICIPATION AND PASSING GRADE IN MHAT CURRICULUM. (4) EDUCATE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A MENTAL DISORDER. LCC WILL DIRECTLY EDUCATE AND PROVIDE RESOURCES TO 12,500 LAWRENCE COUNTY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS MEASURED BY ATTENDANCE AT INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS, NUMBER OF RESOURCES DISTRIBUTED, WEBSITE TRAFFIC, AND MEDIA REACH.