Project Grant H79TI086730

NESS HEALTHCARE NFP - EMS - ABSTRACT PROJECT NAME: RURAL LOUISIANA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) TRAINING GRANT. POPULATION(S) TO BE SERVED: NESS HEALTHCARE NFP PLANS TO IMPLEMENT TRAINING FOR EMS AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SERVING IN THE FOLLOWING RURAL PARISHES OF LOUISIANA PUBLIC HEALTH REGION 9: LIVINGSTON, ST. HELENA, ST. TAMMANY, TANGIPAHOA AND WASHINGTON. STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS: NESS HEALTHCARE NFP'S RURAL LOUISIANA EMS TRAINING PROGRAM HAS BEEN PROVIDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO EMS, FIRE, AND FIRST RESPONDERS SINCE GRANT INCEPTION SEPTEMBER 2022 TO PRESENT. DURING THIS TIME, THE NESS TRAINING TEAM HAS DEVELOPED EVIDENCED-BASED TRAINING COURSES ON MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION, CRISIS RESOURCE TRAINING AND TRAINING THAT QUALIFY EMS TO SERVE IN AN EMS AGENCY. NESS'S COURSES BOLSTER THE COMPETENCIES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EMS AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS AND MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS. THIS TRAINING WILL ALSO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIED TO WORK IN MOBILE CRISIS TEAMS ACROSS THE CATCHMENT AREA. PARTNERS INCLUDE ACADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICE, ALL DESERVE ADVOCACY, PREVENTION & TREATMENT (ADAPT, INC.), AND THE TANGIPAHOA CORONER'S OFFICE (TPCO). THE TRAINING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE LDH EMS BUREAU AND QUALIFIED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR CERTIFICATION. THE TRAINING HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (NEMSA). THE NESS TRAINING TEAM DEVELOPED A "CRISIS RESOURCES" TRAINING, APPROVED FOR CEU'S BY THE LDH EMS BUREAU WHICH PROVIDES 2 HOURS OF RESOURCES TRAINING TO RESPONDERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THE NEW STATE OF LOUISIANA CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM, SAMHSA'S TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY CENTERS AND THE 988 SUICIDE PREVENTION CRISIS LINE. THIS TRAINING SPECIFICALLY EDUCATES RESPONDERS ON HOW TO DESCRIBE THE NEW SYSTEM AND 4 LEVELS OF CARE, HOW TO CONNECT WITH CRISIS PROVIDERS PER CATCHMENT AREAS OF THE STATE, LINK AND REFER INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ENCOUNTERED AT THE FIRST INTERCEPT POINT OF CONTACT WHICH IS OFTENTIMES BY EMS AND FIRE. THE TRAINING GOALS ARE MEASURED BY PRE- AND POST-TEST DEMONSTRATING AN INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE OF CRISIS RESOURCES AND HOW TO ACCESS, LINK AND REFER. TRAINING PARTICIPANT SURVEYS DEMONSTRATE AN INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, IDENTIFYING SUBSTANCE MISUSE, RESOURCES AND THE ROLE EMPATHY PLAYS IN GETTING PEOPLE THE HELP THEY SO DESPERATELY NEED. FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS WILL TRACK METRICS RELATED TO SECURING LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS. PROJECT GOALS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES: NESS HEALTHCARE NFP AIMS TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN EMS/FIRST RESPONDERS ON 1) IDENTIFICATION OF MH/SUD CRISIS IN THE FIELD; 2) DE-ESCALATION AND STABILIZATION TECHNIQUES; 3) LINKING WITH MOBILE CRISIS TEAMS; 4) INCREASING COMPETENCIES OF A SMALL COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD SERVE AS LEADS ON MH/SUD ENCOUNTERS WITH AN OVERALL GOAL OF REDUCING THE INTENSITY OF INTERACTIONS AND GETTING THE INDIVIDUALS THE MOST APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF TREATMENT. NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BE SERVED ANNUALLY AND THROUGHOUT THE LIFETIME OF THE PROJECT: 500 ANNUALLY AND 500 THROUGHOUT THE GRANT PERIOD.