Project Grant H79SM088067

MENDMOBILE EDUCATION, NAVIGATION & DIGNITY - THE BRIDGE CENTER, INC. (THCI) WILL OFFER THE MOBILE EDUCATION NAVIGATION & DIGNITY (MEND) PROJECT. THIS EFFORT WILL PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT) AND INFORMATION ABOUT A WIDE VARIETY OF REFERRAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR AT LEAST 600 TARGETED PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE CITIZENS OF MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA WHO ARE AT RISK FOR MENTAL ILLNESS. THE MEND PROJECT WILL PROVIDE MHAT FOR A MINIMUM OF 200 PRIMARILY IMPOVERISHED AFRICAN-AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY WHILE CONTINUALLY PROMOTING THE PROGRAM TO WORK TOWARDS EXCEEDING THAT TARGET NUMBER EACH YEAR, OVER THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE: 1) BY THE END OF EACH PROJECT YEAR TO TRAIN AT LEAST 200 TARGETED PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE, IN ADDITION TO PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION. 2) BY THE END OF EACH PROJECT YEAR TO ESTABLISH OR MAINTAIN LINKAGES WITH TARGETED ORGANIZATIONS FOR TRAINING TO REFER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES. 3) BY THE END OF EACH PROJECT YEAR TO TRAIN AT LEAST 200 TARGETED PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO EMPLOY CRISIS DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED WITH MENTAL DISORDERS. 4) BY THE END OF EACH PROJECT YEAR TO EDUCATE AND FOLLOW UP WITH AT LEAST 200 MHAT TRAINED TARGETED PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS ABOUT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM TO MAKE A WIDE VARIETY OF REFERRALS FOR SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS THEY IDENTIFY AS IN NEED OF INTERVENTION. 5) BY THE END OF EACH PROJECT YEAR, TO HAVE AT LEAST 80% OF TRAINED INDIVIDUALS DEMONSTRATE IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE/ATTITUDES/BELIEFS RELATED TO PREVENTION AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION.