Project Grant H79SM088183

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING IN UPSTATE NY WITH A FOCUS ON YOUTH AND INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL / DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES - WITH THIS GRANT, UPSTATE CEREBRAL PALSY D/BA UPSTATE CARING CARING PARTNERS (UCP) WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT), WITH COMPONENTS THAT INTEGRATE CULTURAL COMPETENCY/ DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) FRAMEWORKS FOR LOCAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SCHOOL PERSONNEL/ STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE POPULATION OF FOCUS: YOUTH AND INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. THE TRAINING AUDIENCE WILL SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE UCP STAFF WORKING IN EDUCATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL SETTINGS, SCHOOL PERSONNEL THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, CLIENTS, PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AND THE COMMUNITY-AT-LARGE. THE PROPOSED GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA IS HERKIMER AND ONEIDA COUNTIES.THE PROVISION OF MHAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LOCALLY-ADAPTED CULTURAL COMPETENCY/DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION FRAMEWORK WILL HELP ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH RELATED NEEDS WITHIN THE AREA, PARTICULARLY FOR THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS. BOTH ONEIDA AND HERKIMER COUNTY DEMONSTRATE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, DIAGNOSED WITH AN IDD. OF THE 12,515 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IN HERKIMER COUNTY, 7.5% WERE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A DISABILITY. WITHIN ONEIDA COUNTY, 4.6% OF THE 49,467 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 HAVE A DISABILITY. BOTH COUNTIES YOUTH ALSO REPORT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS ESPECIALLY POST-COVID-19 BASED ON RECENT STUDENT SURVEYS. IN BOTH COUNTIES APPROXIMATELY ONE IN FIVE STUDENTS SAID THEY HURT THEMSELVES ON PURPOSE WITHOUT THE INTENTION OF COMMITTING SUICIDE. UCP DIRECTLY PROVIDES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES INCLUSIVE OF COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. FUNDS WILL SUPPORT EXPANDING REGIONAL IMENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA) TRAINING TO NEARLY 1,500 INDIVIDUALS IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO IN-PERSON TRAINING SESSIONS SCHEDULED WITHIN 100 MILES, ALSO DEMONSTRATING THAT TRAINING AVAILABLE IS NOT SPECIFIC TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY SERVED BY UCP. FUNDING WILL ALSO INCREASE REGIONAL MHAT EXPERTISE TO INCLUDE TRAINERS CERTIFIED IN YOUTH MHFA. THE STANDARD MHFA TRAINING MATERIAL WILL BE ENHANCED WITH A CUSTOMIZED REGIONAL CULTURAL AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) FRAMEWORK THAT WILL EQUIP PARTICIPANTS WITH THE EVIDENCE BASED STRATEGIES TO SERVE THE POPULATION OF FOCUS. THE FRAMEWORK WILL INCLUDE DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILES OF NOT JUST THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS WITHIN THE REGION, BUT ALSO THE POPULATIONS SERVED BY THE TRAINING PARTICIPANTS. FUNDING WILL SUPPORT UCP MHFA TRAINERS OFFERING TRAINING TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS/SCHOOLS, CLIENTS/CAREGIVERS, AS WELL AS TO OVER UCP EMPLOYEES WHO SERVE THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS. UCP WILL RUN A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MARKETING AND ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGN THAT INVOLVES A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE GROUP OF AMBASSADORS WILLING TO SHARE THEIR OWN PERSONAL STORIES OF MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENCES, WHILE ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO OPEN UP AND GET THE HELP THEY NEED. MHAT FUNDING SUPPORTS EXPANDED COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MHAT THROUGH FORMALIZED PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS: TO INCLUDE IN YEAR 1 UCP EDUCATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL STAFF WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH IDD, A HEALTH HOME (CNYHHN, INC.) AND FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER (UPSTATE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER) WITH PRESENCE IN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.