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The Regional Mental Health Awareness Training (RMHAT) Grant will serve the entire populations of Pontotoc, Johnston, & Murray counties by providing mental health awareness training, promoting resources & supports, establishing referral systems, & further developing collaborative partnerships to respond to mental health issues. This tri-county area covers 1,789 square miles with a population breakdown of 38,224 in Pontotoc County, 13,853 in Murray County, & 11,060 in Johnston County. The RMHAT grant aims to train a minimum of 750 adults within this region in Youth & Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), which combined with the 750 existing First Aiders in Pontotoc County, will result in a ratio of 1 First Aider for every 42 individuals (approximately 1 First Aider per square mile). Special populations of focus will include individuals who regularly interact with or serve: veterans and their families, individuals with disabilities, Native Americans, and at risk youth, as well as law enforcement. Goal 1: Increase awareness & capacity of adults in Pontotoc, Johnston & Murray Counties to respond to & interact with individuals experiencing mental health or behavioral health issues. Objective 1A: Train 4 additional MHFA Instructors in Murray/Johnston Counties by 9/30/2021. Objective 1B: Maintain 9 previous & 4 additional MHFA Instructors through 9/30/2021. Objective 1C: Train 750 MH First Aiders in region by 9/30/2021 at the rate of 250 per year. (165 more individuals in Pontotoc County?55 per year, 255 individuals in Johnston County?85 per year, & 330 individuals in Murray County?110 per year). Objective 1D: Increase First Aider ability to identify common mental health symptoms by 20% by 9/30/2021 as measured by MHFA training pre/post surveys. Goal 2: Provide outreach & engagement with organizations & citizens to promote positive behavioral health. Objective 2A: Provide at least two educational engagement opportunities for agencies to increase knowledge of mental health issues & resources by the end of each grant year (9/30/19, 2020, 2021). Objective 2B: Provide at least two educational engagement opportunities for general citizens to gain a better understanding of mental/behavioral health issues & resources by the end of each grant year (9/30/19, 2020, 2021). Goal 3: Increase knowledge & access to mental health or behavioral health services for individuals & families. Objective 3A: Provide 100% of MH First Aiders trained with resource & referral guide for the region (9/30/2021). Objective 3B: Track referrals conducted by MH First Aiders by collecting monthly referral surveys from 50% of MH First Aiders by the 5th of the following month (11/5/18, 12/5/18, etc). Goal 4: Increase community partnerships & collaboration of mental health programs. Objective 4A: Develop leadership committee of at least 10 individual &/or agency partners from mental health & related sectors by 12/30/2018. Objective 4B: Host quarterly meetings of committee to address needs, gaps, & progress toward goals by 12/31, 3/31, 6/30, & 9/30 yearly. Objective 4C: Collaborate with mental health partners to conduct yearly update of needs assessment by end of each grant year (9/30/19, 2020, 2021).

ABSTRACT for MHANYS Capital Region Project AWARE The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) will be conducting a project titled: MHANYS Capital Region Project AWARE for the NYS Capital Region. This project is to increase the mental health literacy of adults who interact with individuals in the focus populations in the Capital Region by training 276 adults each year in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), reaching a total of 828 over the three year. The target trainees are adults who may provide support and referral to our focus populations - veterans/military and their families, older adults, and the general public experiencing behavioral health challenges. The goal of the project is to significantly increase the awareness, care, and support when individuals experience behavioral health issues in the four counties of the Capital Region catchment area ? Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady. The objectives are to: increase the mental health literacy of adults who interact with our focus populations; increase the capacity of adults within Capital Region communities to respond to the behavioral health issues; to increase help seeking behaviors; increase awareness of and promote positive behavioral health; increase public awareness through outreach and engagement strategies; link individuals with behavioral health challenges to mental, emotional, and behavioral health assistance and services; and increase the number of collaborative partnerships between MHANYS and community agencies and programs. Participants will be offered MHFA for Military, Veterans, and their Families; MHFA for Older Adults; or regular MHFA. These trainings will not only increase the mental health literacy of the adults trained as MH First Aiders, but also provide them with the tools for making referrals to local behavioral health agencies for services and programs for screening, assessment, and treatment. Newly trained MH First Aiders will also become knowledgeable of a wide-range of resources in the catchment area. The resources and programs in the catchment area include a wide range of topics and support services. Two additional strategies important to the project will be to increase the mental health literacy of adults through an active, educational approach to recruitment for the MHFA trainings, and reduce discrimination and stigma related to mental illness through an ongoing marketing campaign in the Capital Region for the length of the project.

Sertoma Centre, Inc. intends to bring mental health awareness training to over 3,500 people in the south suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area and two communities at risk in the city. The overarching purpose of the MHAT initiative is to focus on training members of the community at large to appropriately and safely respond to individuals who experience or who are risk for experiencing serious mental illness (SMI.) Goal 1 Summary: Sertoma will offer evidence-based trainings including Mental Health First Aid and QPR to target groups in the community such as law enforcement, faith-based groups, local businesses, medical personnel, and organized community groups primarily in the southern Cook County suburbs. Sertoma also intends to provide special attention to offering mental health awareness training to specific groups that are more vulnerable and susceptible to experiencing SMI and serious emotional disturbances (SED.) Goal 2 Summary: Adverse childhood events play a significant role in the development of serious emotional disturbances and serious mental illness over a lifetime. Furthermore, early intervention is essential to ensure the best possible long-term outcomes. Sertoma will offer Mental Health First Aid Youth and suicide prevention awareness trainings such as QPR and SOS within schools and youth centers. In addition, Sertoma will partner a local behavioral health hospital to provide onsite quarterly mental health awareness trainings for families and youth associated with an adolescent IOP program. Goal Summary 3: Sertoma. has collaborated with our local VA hospitals in the recent past and intends to strengthen these partnerships to better support the identified mental health needs of our veteran population. Sertoma will train members of the community including veterans and those who specifically interact with veterans in Mental Health First Aid and QPR. In additional, Sertoma will partner with a local VA hospital to provide onsite quarterly mental health awareness trainings. Goal Summary 4: Sertoma will also focus on collaborating with community partners and offering more specialized training to these groups. Sertoma will increase the types of evidence-based mental health awareness training that are offered to the community and will further extend training efforts to groups who will benefit from special topics on trauma, suicide prevention, or crisis response and de-escalation.

The Right Place Inc., in Anniston Alabama since 2012, will implement the SAMHSA funded Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Project to train individuals, law enforcement, fire services, veterans, schools, and community providers using the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid course to increase awareness, establish referral and linkages to mental health providers, and educate about available mental health resources for persons with a mental disorder. Using the community-friendly Mental Health First Aid training course will allow those trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED), plus the ability to use crisis de-escalation techniques while going about their daily workplace and home life. The increased awareness provided by the MHAT Project will train community gate-keepers, social service agencies and homelessness providers, law enforcement, fire services, schools, emergency first responders, and veterans and their families to have greater awareness about mental illness and will prepare them to respond appropriately and safely in crisis situations. A primary goal of the MHAT Project will be to increase referrals to experienced and competent mental health services and primary care providers in our community. These professionals will be partners with the Project and can provide assessment, further referral for treatment or supportive services as needed. The Right Place MHAT staff will collaborate with all persons trained in Mental Health First Aid to document the number of referrals made by trained individuals. The MHAT Project will provide six, 8-hour Mental Health First Aid trainings annually, training 150 persons per year, and over 450 individuals through the 3-year program. The Right Place serves 8 rural counties of N.E. Alabama and is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains - training and awareness outreach will focus on the five most populous counties of Calhoun (pop. 117,253), Cleburne (pop 14,885), Etowah (pop104,311), Cherokee (pop 26,056), and DeKalb (pop. 70,977) Census 2012. Committed partners for the recruitment, outreach, and marketing of the project are in place and will contribute to the projects? success. Project staff will also provide guest speakers, health fairs, awareness events, distribution of mental health educational brochures, and community opportunities to reach an additional 600 persons annually through mental health awareness outreach activities. As an objective of the program, MHAT will create a community resource directory to be shared annually with all partners and interested persons, especially those serving veterans and rural residents. Staff will update and revise the resource directory as new partners are trained and added to the list of mental health related providers and services in our targeted counties. The staff of The Right Place Inc. have a combined 74 years of expertise providing community level interventions, prevention and awareness programming, data collection and grants management. The program evaluation, data collection, reporting, and performance measurement will be conducted according to SAMHSA guidelines and requirements.

The USCRI Texas' Multicultural Mental Health Awareness (MMHA) program is designed to equip community service providers and other key stakeholders with the skills and tools necessary to safely and appropriately provide MHFA that is responsive to the needs of refugee and immigrant individuals with mental health needs, especially those experiencing serious mental illness (SMI) or severe emotional disturbance (SED). USCRI Texas will deliver trainings to eligible individuals throughout the Houston, Austin, and San Antonio metro areas. Eligible individuals will include: (1) parents and caregivers of children and youth that may be experiencing an emotional disturbance or first episode of psychosis; (2) teachers and relevant school personnel who interact with children and youth in school settings; and (3) medical primary care and specialty providers who provide services to the general public, including individuals from refugee and immigrant communities. Trainings will be designed to address the MHFA needs of Texas? most prevalent refugee and immigrant communities, including Afghan, Burmese, Congolese, Cuban, Guatemalan, Honduran, Iraqi, Salvadoran, Somali, and Syrian populations. USCRI Texas? demonstrated experience providing culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health training ideally positions the agency to broaden the accessibility of MHFA trainings to these diverse yet underserved communities.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Georgia, NAMI Georgia, Inc., in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education, and the National Center for Mental Health & Juvenile Justice will expand the number of those trained in the Georgia Youth in Crisis, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-Youth program sponsored by NAMI Georgia. Georgia Youth in Crisis equips local law enforcement, educators, resource safety officers, school counselors, faith-based leaders and other service professionals with skills and resources to more effectively assist children and youth in getting the services they need and prevent unnecessary crisis from happening. Funding through this grant will help this partnership leverage an $1.4 million commitment appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly, that ensures the availability of CIT-Youth and other trainings and services throughout the over 2,200 schools in Georgia. More specifically the Mental Health Awareness Training Grant will support the training of over 150 trainers needed to offer regular CIT-Youth trainings within the 16 Regional Educational Service Agencies. CIT-Youth helps create a collaborative partnership that assists in identifying youth presenting with mental health needs, social emotional disturbances, or experiencing first episode psychosis before they become involved with the juvenile justice system, fail or drop out of school or develop a more chronic condition. An unintended goal of CIT-Youth is that local stakeholders come together and create a unified vision for a healthy, safe and responsive community.

National Mental Health Association of Georgia, Inc dba Mental Health America of Georgia (MHAG) is dedicated to enhancing mental health and wellness throughout Georgia through The Mental Health Academy. The Mental Health Academy is a training program to educate non-mental health professionals to better understand mental illnesses and addictions and provide effective response options for de-escalation. The MHA program will offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Question, Persuasion, and Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention and Outreach Wellness Learning (OWL) seminars which is a curriculum of common research-based mood and anxiety disorders 1-2 times per month to community members in Cherokee, Columbia, Fulton, Lowndes, Chatham and Carroll County in Georgia to support community members and veterans to access mental health treatment and supports. The project will achieve the following goals and objectives: Goal 1: Increase mental health literacy for first responders, faith-based organizations and families of veterans to support individuals with behavioral health challenges. By January 2019, MHAG will present county specific statistics of mental health & an overview of mental health and stigma to community leaders in the identified areas of focus. By September 2019, 1,200 will be trained in MHFA and QPR as well as 2,400 will be trained in OWL seminars. Goal 2: Improve coordination and utilization of resources, mental health treatment and supports in communities. By September 2019, 33% of community leaders in identified areas of focus will develop a clear process to behavioral health treatment and supports and 10% of the trained population will effectively use screening tools to refer persons suspected of being in crisis to services and supports. By September 2020, develop and implement Pocket Guide for professionals to utilize a coordinated process approach to treatment. Goal 3: Implement mental health awareness campaign for all six counties to address stigma and increase access to supports and treatment. By the end of each project year, reach a minimum of 75,000 individuals utilizing social media, billboard, radio and television advertising. By September 2019, provide partner organization referral information to access mental health supports to be disseminated in non-traditional locations. By September 2021, 70% of trained population will demonstrate a positive shift in attitudes and beliefs around mental illness. Goal 4: Promote mental wellness and enhance recovery for individuals with mental disorders. By September 2021, all six counties will implement a universal screening tool to promote mental wellness checks and have sustainable wellness campaigns to promote education, prevention and early intervention to support recovery. By September 2020, counties will have printed materials displayed in multiple settings to promote wellness and recovery. The MHA program will allow for a coordinated referral mechanism with local behavioral health to increase access for community members to behavior health care. The MHA program will train 3,000 unduplicated participants annually and 9,000 over the entire grant period.

Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF)/Alliant Health Solutions (AHS), a CMS contracted Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), working directly with four Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and other local community stakeholders, will establish a mental health awareness training (MHAT) program, using an EBP, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), to train targeted groups that are situated in 15 Georgia counties, that are home to 31% of the state?s entire population. Over a 33 month period, goals of the project state that GMCF/AHS will train a minimum of 2,640 individuals in MHFA by providing a minimum of 132 training courses. The training is for adults who work with youths in school settings; emergency first responders; caregivers of and groups serving military personnel and veterans; caregivers of SED children and children at risk of first-episode psychosis; and personnel of primary and specialty care settings. The MHFA training will better equip the trainees to respond to individuals in psychiatric distress, whom include school aged youth, especially SED children, military members and veterans, the general public, and CMI adults. It is a project goal that 80% of those trained and certified in MHFA will be satisfied with the training. By building four local community action steering groups (CAS), anchored by the identified local FQHC, GMCF/AHS will engage the various stakeholders to establish a MHAT program that will outreach to the target groups to help meet the training needs of the respective areas. Each CAS will be meet monthly. A critical component of the MHAT is equipping those trained with a referral process should they assist an individual who will require subsequent mental health services. Local community mental health centers, or as there are titled in Georgia, Community Service Boards (CSB), will be available to serve individuals who are referred to them by those who are trained and certified in MHFA under this project. Another stated goal is to measure the number of referrals made by MHFA trained individuals. The FQHC?s that were chosen for this project have outstanding relationships and formally partner with their local CSB?s. Also, the 15 counties coverage area, under the umbrella of the FQHC?s and their CSB?s, are contiguously aligned covering a distance of roughly 130 miles beginning near Atlanta and extending to the South Carolina border. This coverage area is inclusive of metropolitan, urban, and rural communities. The project geographical coverage area encompasses 3.3 million of Georgia?s 10.5 million citizens. Georgia, the eighth most populated state in the country, has the fifth highest uninsured rate, and is routinely amongst the worst per-capita funded states for mental healthcare in the entire nation. A formal MHAT program targeting critical communities and organizations could have a tremendous impact on improving the state of mental health supports for the people of Georgia, and if proven successful, with ample opportunity for replication throughout the state.

Name: Georgia DBHDD Office of Behavioral Health Prevention (OBHP) Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Project Population: OBHP’s MHAT project’s populations of focus for which DBHDD’s mental health awareness training is intended to help will include veterans, youth and teenagers, adults, and older adults. Persons to receive MHAT will include individuals who can provide support to veterans, youth, adults, and older adults. Training participants will include behavioral health professionals, nurses, teachers, clergy, community suicide prevention coalition members, caregivers, correction staff, first responders, youth workers, school support staff, and Veterans and family members of Armed Service Members. Strategies/Interventions: Of DBHDD’s 6 regions, 2016 data indicates that Regions, 2, 5, and 1 had the highest suicide death rates; Regions 2, 5, and 6 had the highest suicide hospital discharge rates; Regions 1, 3, and 2 had the greatest number of both suicide deaths and hospital discharges; Regions 5, 1, and 6 had the highest suicide ER visit rates; and Regions 1, 3, and 6 had the greatest number of suicide ER visits. All five of these regions, had at least 2 counties with high suicide rates. These counties (total of 20) will serve as the geographic catchment area for the project. In implementing its project, OBHP will utilize its safety net of providers know as Tier 1 Comprehensive Community Providers (CCP) to implement training activities in their region as well as to serve as referral agencies. The CCPs, who are DBHDD public providers that have the capacity to deliver comprehensive and vital community mental health and substance use disorder services and that have the stature, visibility, accountability, and credibility to be seen as the local and reliable safety net provider for the delivery of supports and services in the counties targeted by this project. The goal of OBHPs MHAT Project is to increase the capacity of Georgia communities to reduce suicide risk that may contribute to suicide attempts and/or death by suicide. Objectives include the following: Objective 1: By September 29, 2021, a total of at least 20 evidence based mental health awareness trainings will be provided annually targeting counties in DBHDD regions 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 that were identified in 2015 as being the highest death by suicide counties in Georgia. Objective 2: By September 29, 2021, at least 90% of populations of focus referred to participating Tier 1 Comprehensive Community Provider mental health resources by individuals trained in MHAT will be tracked. Objective 3: By the end of the three year project, OBHP proposes to train at least unduplicated 600 individuals (average 200 per year), including fifty certified training of trainers with grant funds. This will enhance the sustainability of mental health awareness training capacity post grant.

Integral Care, the local mental health authority for Travis County, Texas, plans to implement a new project, Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) for Service Providers and Families of Armed Service Personnel and Veterans. The project will provide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, as well as Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), utilization of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and Safety Planning Intervention (SPI), to families, caregivers, and service providers in contact with armed service personnel, veterans and their families who may be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and serious mental illness (SMI) that may be impairing their functioning in daily life activities. Individuals targeted for Mental Health Awareness Training may work with veterans and armed service members in a community-based counseling center, or healthcare facility, and/or may be Certified Veteran Peers, and/or may be a veteran's family member or caregiver. These individuals interact on a daily basis with armed service personnel and veterans who are in need of multiple community-based services due to their complex and chronic trauma. Texas is home to nearly 1.7 million veterans of the armed forces, more than any other state except California. Veterans with mental health and substance use conditions face a number of increased risk factors including: chronic homelessness, a greater risk of suicide, a wide range of serious medical problems, premature mortality, and incarceration. Unfortunately, only about half of all veterans with a diagnosed behavioral health condition have accessed appropriate services, and even fewer have received adequate care. Tragically, national statistics currently report that each day, an estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide. In Texas in 2014, 554 veterans died by suicide. Integral Care's goals for this project are 1) to increase the understanding and recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and how to safely and appropriately respond among families, caregivers, and service providers in contact with armed service personnel and veteran, 2) to increase the knowledge of available community resources - crisis services, counseling, substance use, basic needs, primary care, housing, support groups - in Travis County for veterans and armed service personnel and how to access them, 3) to increase the utilization of these resources by the armed service personnel and veterans with whom service providers and families and caregivers work with on a regular basis, and 4)to develop collaborative partnerships with relevant community agencies and programs to assist with responding to mental health issues and improve coordination of services to armed service personnel, veterans, and their families. Measurable outcomes include the following: 1)by September 29, 2021 a total of 600 individuals, consisting of service providers, families and/or caregivers (200 each year of the project) will be trained in MHFA; 2) by September 29, 2021 50% of the individuals trained in MHFA will also be trained in CALM, the C-SSRS and SPI; 3) by September 29, 2021 100% of individuals trained in MHFA will receive a comprehensive resource packet consisting of community supports, such as crisis, counseling, medical care, housing, support groups, and employment services for armed service personnel and veterans; and 3) by September 29, 2021 75% of individuals trained in MHFA will refer an armed service personnel or veteran to a community resource listed in their resource packet.

Project Title: Improving Mental Health Awareness and Response in the Great Lakes Region The Great Lakes Region of the United States is a rural and highly underserved area facing considerable behavioral health workforce challenges. Clover Educational Consulting Group (Clover) proposes to bring evidence-based mental health training to Veterans Affairs (VA) providers and staff, veterans, family members and caregivers of veterans, college faculty and staff, college student peer leaders, community mental health staff, and community first-responders in the region. The specific trainings offered will be Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention for College Students. The trainings will focus on serving the populations of veterans, college students, and rural behavioral health service recipients in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S. The three identified populations of focus were chosen due to their high risk of mental health symptomatology and suicide and represent specific areas of significant unmet mental healthcare need. Clover has developed collaborative partnerships with 5 local agencies in the Region who have committed to hosting trainings, assisting with the response to mental health issues, and to improving the coordination of services to the populations of focus. These organizations include the Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital, Lake Superior College, Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Professionals, Lake Superior Community Health Center, and the Human Development Center. Each organization has attested, via a Letter of Commitment, to their support for the project and has described in the LOC how they will facilitate the recruitment of a sufficient number of individuals to be trained. The partner sites included in the current application are all located within designated HPSA’s. The identified populations of focus in the current application represent specific areas of significant unmet need. The three broad goals of the project are as follows: Goal 1- Improve the capacity of local providers, community members, and first responders to identify and respond to signs and symptoms of MH issues in veterans in the Region; Goal 2- Improve the capacity of college faculty, staff, and student peer leaders to identify and respond to signs and symptoms of MH issues in college students in the Region; and Goal 3- Improve the capacity of local providers, community members, and first responders to identify and respond to signs and symptoms of MH issues in rural behavioral health service recipient in the Region. If funded, the proposed project will provide training for 1,180 individuals over the three-year grant term. In Year 1, 280 individuals will be trained, 450 in Year 2, and 450 in Year 3.

North Carolina has a population of approximately 9.9 million people, and nearly 5% of adults in the state live with serious mental health conditions. Only 48.2% of adults with mental illness in North Carolina receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers. North Carolina is ranked 33 out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. for providing access to mental health services. Additionally, North Carolina is comprised of largely underserved areas and most of the state is designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Clover Educational Consulting Group (Clover) proposes to bring evidence-based mental health training to public school teachers, providers and staff, family members of public school children, college faculty, providers, and staff, and college student peer leaders in North Carolina. The trainings will focus on serving the populations of public school children and college students in the local area. The identified populations of focus were chosen in order to promote early intervention and reduce the risk of mental health symptomatology and suicide. Clover has developed collaborative partnerships with 2 local agencies in the area who have committed to hosting trainings, assisting with the response to mental health issues, and to improving the coordination of services to the populations of focus. These organizations are Guilford County Schools and High Point University. Each organization has attested, via a Letter of Commitment, to their support for the project and has described in the LOC how they will facilitate the recruitment of a sufficient number of individuals to be trained. The two broad goals of the project are as follows: Goal 1- Improve the capacity of local public school teachers, providers, staff, and family members to identify and respond to signs and symptoms of MH issues in school-aged children.; and Goal 2- Improve the capacity of local college faculty, providers, staff, and student peer leaders to identify and respond to signs and symptoms of MH issues in college students. If funded, the proposed project will provide training for 1,680 individuals over the three-year grant term.

The Institute of Research, Education, and Services in Addiction (IRESA) of the Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), proposes to develop Project MHAT-CR (Mental Health Awareness Training for Community Response). Project MHAT-CR will prepare and train veteran family members, peers including veterans, school personnel, community leaders, first responders, municipal police, and primary health workers on how to identify and appropriately and safely respond to signs and possible symptoms of serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI) to prevent further escalation of emotional deterioration and decompensation. MHAT-CR will target the Metro North Health Region (MNHR) of Puerto Rico, comprised by the municipalities of Barranquitas, Bayamón, Cataño, Comerío, Corozal, Dorado, Naranjito, Orocovis, Toa Baja, Toa Alta, and Vega Alta where the number of mental health cases is higher in comparison to other areas. This project is a capacity-building initiative seeking to prepare a community response to the segments of the vulnerable communities experiencing social determinants of poverty and unemployment (children, adolescents, older adults, veterans) at risk of developing any mental health disorder. MHAT-CR will train 825 individuals from the community and social structures of help, serving and in close and continuous contact with this population in the curriculums of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults (MHFA-Older Adults), and Mental Health First Aid for Veterans (MHFA-Veterans). This will be accomplished by increasing the mental health literacy of individuals interacting with children, youth, older adults, and veterans (CYOV) to recognize warning signs and symptoms and make appropriate referrals. To ensure this identification and early referral occurs, the project will establish a network of service providers, community leaders, municipal officials, and health insurers to facilitate access to needed services. The implementation of Project MHAT-CR aims to build and expand the capacity of the MNHR communities to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly SMI and/or SED to deploy appropriate and safety response; and establish linkages within the MNHR to facilitate the process of referrals and service delivery among caregivers including veteran family members, peers including veterans, school personnel, community leaders, first responders, municipal police, and primary health workers.

The MHAASA PR-MHAT Project will provide training to create awareness for early and correct identification and interventions with individuals showing signs and symptoms of mental illness. The need for the project is based on the vulnerability of the PR population to MH conditions post 2017 natural disasters (Hurricanes Maria and Irma) and the need for skill development in First Responders from varied systems related to crisis management and identification and intervention with persons showing signs of MH conditions. Using the Mental Health First aid (MHFA) EBP, over 3 years, 1,500 First Responders (600 from public education and 900 from law enforcement, veterans services and other systems) will be trained to recognize signs/symptoms of mental disorders, particularly SMI or SED. Linkages will be established with school and community-based agencies to refer those identified for appropriate treatment and other services. Training on appropriate crisis de-escalation techniques and available community resources for persons with MH conditions will be included. The IRESA Project of the University of Central Caribbean (UCC), using trainers certified in the MHFA EB Model, will be contracted as the primary training resource. The project will expand MHAASA's crisis and disaster mitigation and response efforts. Collaboration with public education, MH public and private treatment systems, Public Security (Police, Firemen, Emergency Management) and the VA healthcare will permit identification and recruitment of First Responders to be trained on the MHFA EBP, helping these responders to identify and intervene with potential MH patients and engage them in treatment with support services. The project will be directed to training participants Island wide, with the exception of the municipalities of Bayamon, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Naranjito, Vega Baja, Toa Alta, Cata¤o, Vega Alta, Comerio and Corozal, these being served through IRESE under another grant. For MH treatment, the MHAASA San Patricio Center for adults and Rio Piedras MH Center for Children and Adolescents, and Medicaid providers such as APS (all licensed and experienced) will be used. Under the MHFA, an 8-hour training will focus on identification and intervention with persons showing signs of mental illness, appropriate de-escalation techniques in crisis situations, appropriate engagement and referral procedures and resources that are available. Project goals/objectives include training 1,500 school, security and veterans staff; establishment of a bank of resources for referrals of populations of focus with which First Responders come in contact, or serve; development of follow-up tracking mechanisms related to referrals of populations of focus; utilization of the MH Advisory Council of MHAASA for input to the project; and awareness created on the importance of early identification and referral to reduce PTSD or other consequences and stigma toward persons with MH conditions. All training logistics will be carried out by the MHAASA T/TA Unit, the director of which will serve as Project Director with a full-time Coordinator for logistical training aspects. A Data Analyst will collect required data on process and statistical outcomes of trainings and on fidelity to the selected MHFA EBP, using standardized instruments of the model and those developed by training resources. A total of $125,000 per year is requested over the 3-year grant period, including funds for training, data collection, and evaluation.

This proposed project, Building Capacity and Improving Mental Health Awareness in Monroe County, Indiana, aims to increase the capacity and mental health awareness of individuals associated with the four populations of focus (youth, college populations, receivers of emergency services, and veterans) through one or more variations of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. This includes ensuring that trainees can access and utilize an effective referral system. A mental health training awareness plan and a social marketing campaign will also be utilized to provide the most comprehensive services for the populations of focus due to the challenges that arise when accessing these specific groups. The selected geographic catchment area is Monroe County, Indiana, a 394 square mile region with 146,986 residents. This area contains high levels of need and allows the proposed project to maximize synergistic impact. One of the main goals of this proposed project is to reduce rates of depression, suicide, substance abuse, violence, and other behavioral health concerns within selected groups by increasing the capacity of trainees in Monroe County to identify and refer individuals among the populations of focus who are in need of mental health care. This goal will be met through providing specialized MHFA trainings to individuals and organizational partners who work or interact with each population of focus. This will result in 300 unduplicated individuals trained annually and 900 unduplicated individuals trained over the course of the project. One MHFA trainee who is associated with each of the four populations of focus will also become a certified trainer of MHFA. Based on the trainer's requirements, the annual number of unduplicated individuals trained by one newly certified trainer is 90. Over the three year project, this will include four trainers and will result in a minimum of 720 individuals being trained. From this, the minimum number of individuals reached through any MHFA training for the total project will be 1,620. Mental health related training is important; however, it is also crucial to ensure that individuals within the populations of focus have access to services. Because of this, another goal is to increase the number of individuals from populations of focus who receive appropriate mental health services. This will be achieved by establishing a referral system and providing resources regarding the available mental health agencies that can provide professional help. Additionally, increasing awareness in Monroe County about the mental health resources that are available for the populations of focus is another goal of this proposed project. This will be achieved through the creation of informational material and the distribution of it to anyone trained in MHFA, who will pass it along to members of the populations of focus. The final goal is to decrease mental illness stigma within the populations of focus and increase awareness of the need for culturally appropriate services for the populations of focus in Monroe County. An evidence-based social marketing and awareness campaign will be utilized to meet this goal, where experts will ensure the effective messaging, release, and cultural appropriateness.

The Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition?s ?Mental Health First Aid for Palm Beach County? project is a partnership between the PBCSAC and local behavioral health/ advocacy groups which is designed to increase mental health literacy among adults, policy-makers and administrators of programs serving adults and youth. Since 2002, PBCSAC has served as a community coalition working to reduce substance use and abuse through primary prevention efforts and environmental strategies. Our mission is: ?Uniting Palm Beach County by strengthening children, families and neighborhoods in their resolve to reduce and prevent alcohol and drug abuse, creating a drug free community?. We leverage partnerships, provide trainings and utilize community input to develop and implement evidence based action plans. This project will provide training for community members in both Adult Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), with a population of focus in: (1) Veterans, Armed Service Members and their Families; (2) Fire Department Personal and Emergency First Responders; (3) Law Enforcement; (4) Parent and Youth Serving Organizations (5) Teachers and School Personal (6) Parents, with a Focus on Parents of Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and/or Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and (7) Haitian and Hispanic Community Organizations and Members. Over the three-year grant period, 1,500 individuals (500 in Year 1; 500 in Year 2; 500 in Year 3) will become ?First Aiders? by completing the AMHFA or YMHFA course facilitated by a cadre of 25 certified instructors that include veterans, law enforcement, fire rescue, school district, and non-profit workers. New ?First Aiders? will include school district teachers, administrators, counselors, police officers and other staff; parents and caregivers and individuals who work at various non-profits which serve the identified populations. As a result of effectively saturating Palm Beach County with ?First Aiders,? we expect to reach our goals of 1) train a broad array of community members in Palm Beach County, including underserved populations, in AMHFA and/or YMHFA, 2) increase the number of individuals referred to mental health or related services by 5%, from 71.8% to 76.8% and 3) enhance Palm Beach County?s network of Mental Health professionals and service organizations with increased communication and community knowledge of available services.

Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick, Maine, has been awarded a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration training grant to implement ?Mid Coast Youth Mental Health Awareness Project?. Mid Coast Hospital will be partnering with NAMI Maine and other community partners to offer free training to youth serving agencies, families, caregivers and peer leaders in Sagadahoc County, Brunswick and Harpswell. Mid Coast Hospital?s goal is to increase community ability to recognize early signs of mental illness in youth, appropriately respond to prevent and de-escalate crisis situations, connect youth to local resources, and increase overall community mental health awareness. A community advisory and oversight team will be coordinated by Midcoast Community Alliance. Project Goals and Objectives Train 1,340 unique individuals; 430 in year one, 455 each in years two and three. Increase community capacity to appropriately respond to youth and young adults, ages 12-24, with signs of mental illness. By September 30, 2021: ? 50 young adults will complete Moral Reconation Therapy. ? 18 Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings will be held to increase the number of adults who recognize the signs of, and local resources for, mental illness in youth and young adults. ? 30 interagency advisory team meetings will be held to increase community linkages ? 6 Crisis Intervention trainings will be completed to increase the number of enforcement and emergency service personnel who are trained in crisis de-escalation techniques. ? 3 Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainings will be held to increase the number of adults who can identify and respond to youth and young adults expressing signs of suicide risk. ? 3 school districts will be trained in the Sources of Strength curriculum to increase the help seeking behaviors of youth and promote connections between peers and caring adults. ? 3 mental health resource campaigns will be completed to increase awareness of support. Increase resiliency skills in youth to reduce the effects of significant adversity on mental health. By September 30, 2021: ? 9 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction trainings will be held to increase use of evidence based skills by youth to manage daily stress and anxiety. ? 18 six-week Progression courses will be held to increase coping skills of youth who have experienced a first episode of psychosis or received a mental health diagnosis. ? 10 youth serving agencies and schools will implement at least 1 Midcoast Community Alliance led resiliency awareness event.

The Community Health Center of Buffalo's (CHCB) Mental Health Awareness Training program, called Improved Mental Health Efforts for Regional Empowerment (IM HERE), will primarily impact an estimated 30,000 individuals who experience the repercussions of poor mental health in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The goal of IM HERE is to bolster the regional response to mental illnesses through increased awareness and improved services. The economically challenged, particularly minorities, are vulnerable to behavioral health disparities. Due to their financial constraints, most are insured through Medicaid. Unfortunately, they often do not seek mental health treatment. According to the 2014 Western New York Community Health Needs Assessment, 330,351 people utilized Medicaid in Erie (276,783) and in Niagara Counties (53,568). Approximately 50% of the population in Buffalo and Niagara Falls utilize Medicaid. African-Americans comprise 34% of the Buffalo and Niagara Falls population, and those that identified as Hispanic represent 6% of the population. Within the Medicaid population, IM HERE has prioritized Veterans due to the higher prevalence of mental illnesses. The CHCB and its partners provide primary care, behavioral health, social services, public safety, veterans services, workforce training, and legal aid. IM HERE will train 1,250 adults as First Aiders to increase the mental health literacy among community members who regularly interact with the target population. Three instructors will also be trained to sustain and grow IM HERE. The primary objectives of IM HERE that align with SAMSHA's objectives are: (1) Increase the number of people in the healthcare, mental health and community-based services trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) practices and related activities so that there is at least one adult trained in MHFA for every 165 individuals who receive Medicaid in the Buffalo-Niagara region. The goal is to train a total of 1,250 individuals in MHFA within 3 years. (2) Create and train, over three years, a broad network of at least ten organizations serving the Medicaid population to promote mental health wellness and reduce stigma. The following agencies have already committed to IM HERE: Housing Options Made Easy, Inc. (peer agency); Jericho Road Federally Qualified Health Center; Community Action Organization of Buffalo and Erie County (CAO); Horizons Health Services; Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center; Goodwill; Veterans One-stop Center; The City of Buffalo's Police and Fire Departments; Niagara Falls Police; & Legal Aid. (3) Increase the number of referrals for behavioral health screening, assessment, or treatment by 10% in Year 1, 15% in Year 2, and 20% in Year 3, compared to baseline. And (4) Increase the number of individuals in the target population who utilize behavioral health resources by 10% by the end of Year 3. CHCB and its partners will sustain IM HERE by including the program in NYS Medicaid value-based payment contracts to reduce health care costs and improve patient outcomes.

The Compeer Mental Health First Aid training-MHFA project will operate in Buffalo, NY and Erie County where Compeer matches volunteers in one-to-one friendships and mentoring relationships with veterans, college/K-12 students, and adults striving for good mental health. The proposed initiative builds on Compeer?s existing 2,500 MHFA First Aiders (FAs) and will bring its number of trained MHFA instructors to 8, 7 more than any other Buffalo agency. MHFA Participants will include but are not limited to mental health providers; veterans and veteran service providers, military personnel, and their families; mental health counselors and advisors; first responders (police, fire, & EMT); service organizations? staff; educators (college and K-12 faculty/teachers, counselors, and advisors); athletics personnel; college/school leaders; students (college & K-12); K-12 school resource & security officers, truancy officers, after school staff, parents/caregivers, and transportation providers; primary care, obstetricians, and general practitioners; and Compeer mentors/staff. Target Population Partners: Veterans: Dept. of Veteran Affairs, WNY Heroes, Veteran?s One-Stop, and the WNY Consortium of Higher Education Veteran?s and Military Personnel Community of Practice (COP). First Responders: Buffalo Police & Fire Departments, WNY Fire Chiefs Association, WNY Consortium of Higher Education Law Enforcement Administrators Group (on & off campus law enforcement groups), and Amherst Security Professionals (300+ law enforcement officers). College Students: the WNY Consortium of Higher Education which represents all 21 WNY colleges and universities, over 45,000 employees, and 100,000 students and targeted institutions like SUNY Erie. Youth: WNY K-12 districts & leadership, BOCES, WNY High School Counselors Association, and Anti-Stigma Coalition.

The Cambridge Health Alliance, the only public hospital system in Massachusetts, is proposing the use of Mental Health Awareness Training funding to implement the evidenced based Mental Health First Aid curriculum in 8 communities located in the greater Boston region: Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Somerville, Revere, Winthrop. With an estimated population of 450,000, the geographic catchment area includes some of the lowest-income communities in Massachusetts as well as the most culturally diverse. Our project goal is to expand access to Mental Health First Aid to strengthen risk assessment for mental health issues among the target populations impacting children, youth, military personnel and their families. As a result, training participants will be able to make appropriate referrals to licensed mental health providers and provide helpful resources for the populations of focus. Over the course of three years, we will train 1200 individuals (320 in Year 1; 400 in Year 2; 480 in Year 3) including teachers, school based personnel and after school staff working with children and adolescents, caregivers and service providers of military personnel and Veterans, parents and caregivers of children with serious emotional disturbance (SED), and primary care and healthcare providers within the Cambridge Health Alliance network. By 2021 at least 85% of Mental Health First Aid participants will agree or strongly agree that they are able to recognize the signs of a mental health problem, reach out to someone dealing with a mental health problem, and assist a person dealing with a mental health problem in seeking professional health. Additionally, Cambridge Health Alliance will launch a mental wellness campaign aimed at reducing stigma against mental health in the 8 communities served by Cambridge Health Alliance.

The aim of this project, Puerto Rico Outreach Model In Schools Esperanza (PROMISE): Increasing Mental Health Awareness and Access to Care Post Hurricane Maria, is to increase access to treatment for school-aged children in Puerto Rico experiencing mental health problems, including trauma-related distress. It is critical that school personnel understand how to respond to students experiencing mental health problems in a safe and appropriate manner and to help them access needed assistance. PROMISE will focus on school-aged children in western Puerto Rico, who are economically disadvantaged, residing in communities severely impacted by Hurricane Maria, and consequently, are at significantly increased risk for mental health problems, including serious emotional disturbance (SED). A needs assessment conducted by our team revealed high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms among students in the target schools following Hurricane Maria. The goal of PROMISE is to increase the capacity of school personnel to: 1) recognize signs and symptoms trauma-related mental health problems and other types of SED; 2) recognize signs of suicidal risk and employ appropriate crisis de-escalation techniques; and 3) refer children with mental health problems to appropriate services. Several evidence-based and culturally-tailored MHATs have been selected: 1) Trauma-Informed Schools Curriculum (NCTSN/SAMHSA, 2008); 2) After the Storm (La Greca & Sevin, 2004); 3) Suicide and Crisis Management Protocol (Martinez, 2017); and 4) Skills for Psychological Recovery (Berkowitz, Bryant, Brymer et al., 2010). The objective of PROMISE is to train 75% of school personnel in each of 20 target schools with over 6,500 students and more than 620 school staff on the selected evidence-based MHATs by the end of the three-year grant period. This will be achieved in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Medical Sciences and University Carlos Albizu (UCA), Mayaguez through direct trainings and utilizing a train-the-trainer model. Specifically, UCA graduate student therapists embedded within school-based mental health clinics at 20 schools and their clinical supervisors will be trained in selected MHATs, and they will in turn train school staff in these MHATs at their respective schools. In addition, referral mechanisms to school- (UCA school-based therapists) and community-based (APS Clinics) providers will be further developed, and case consultation and crisis management will be available to school personnel via telepsychiatry from UPR psychiatry residents. An estimated 40 clinical graduate students will receive MHATs annually across the 3 years for a total of 120 graduate students through the grant period. An estimated 155 school staff will be trained in Year 1, 155 in Year 2 and 310 in Year 3 for a total of 620 school staff that will have received MHAT. A grand total of 740 mental health and non-mental health professionals will have received MHATs by the end of the project, which has the potential to impact 6, 500 Puerto Rican students.

Health Education for Advanced Living (HEAL) Project Abstract Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) and Anuvia Prevention and Recovery Center (APRC) are partnering in their effort to provide the Health Education for Advanced Living (HEAL) Project. This effort will provide Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) and related referral support services for at least 600 mental health workers, school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement, veterans, armed services members and their families, and others who come in contact with the citizens of Mecklenburg County. The HEAL Project will provide MHAT for a minimum of 200 mental health workers and other individuals annually. Instruction will be offered utilizing the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid Training Program through an 8-hour training course at either the project partner location or at the office of the company being trained. The program objectives are: 1) By the end of each project year to train at least 200 targeted mental health workers and other individuals to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance. 2) By the end of each project year to establish or maintain linkages with school and community based mental health agencies 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 mental health workers 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 at least 200 MHAT trained mental health workers and other targeted individuals about resources that are available in the community for individuals with a mental disorder. JCSU, the lead agency, and APRC have been responding to the needs of at-risk populations in the Charlotte metropolitan area for many years. APRC will be the primary mental health treatment location for the individuals referred by HEAL project trainees. HEAL staff members will include a part-time project director who will supervise the overall project, and act as the primary contact with the federal funding source. A part-time project coordinator will assist with training and follow up on all referrals made to the project to help facilitate treatment and address issues. A part-time project liaison who will develop and maintain relationships with local stakeholders. The project will also include a mental health licensed professional to provide the MHFA Training. An independent evaluator will be contracted to collect performance data and assess completion of project objectives. 1

Eaton RESA Prevention Program Services is proposing to increase local capacity for Youth Mental Health First Aid Training in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties of Michigan. There are 22 public school districts within the capital county area, all of whom have agreed to partner with this grant opportunity. An agreement has been established with Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties to accept community members for screening and treatment and/or referrals to other practices. This grant proposes to increase the number of local trainers in Youth Mental Health First Aid and thereby, train at least 1,000 educators, school employees, agency partners, VFW National Home, and other relevant partners who engage with youth in the community. Local school districts have committed to sending staff to training through funds identified in this grant and have also agreed to collecting and reporting referral data.

Be the Change is an initiative to train citizens in rural counties of eastern Washington to be the bridge between a client, student, colleague, friend or family member who is suffering from a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and the care that they need. Be the Change leverages Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based practice, in training all citizens to identify and assess mental illness. Be the Change will teach 2650 residents of eastern Washington per year, with a total of 7950 residents trained within the three-year grant period. The population of focus is all citizens, with an emphasis on school-based personnel (teachers, administrators, resource officers, etc.), first responders (police, fire, EMT), and veterans, veteran-serving organizations, and families of veterans. According to a report issued by SAMHSA in 2015, 226,000 adults in Washington state had serious thoughts of suicide, and 232,000 had a serious mental illness within a year prior to being surveyed (survey year 2013-2014). Of these, only 44.4% received mental health treatment or counseling. Goal 1: Increase the capacity of school personnel to identify and address mental health issues before they become emergencies. Goal 1, Objective 1: By September 2021, 50% of teachers and relevant school personnel in the catchment area will be trained in Mental Health First Aid. Goal 2: Increase the capacity of first responders to serve as a bridge between citizens in need of mental health services and the services available. Goal 2, Objective 1: By September 2021, 25% of law enforcement and emergency services personnel in the catchment area will be trained in Mental Health First Aid. Goal 2, Objective 2: By the end of this project, 75% of law enforcement and emergency services personnel in the catchment area will carry a card that lists the mental health resources available in their area. Goal 3: Increase the capacity of rural communities to ?care for their own? by providing education, resource cards, and referrals. Goal 2, Objective 1: By September 2021, all citizens in the catchment area requesting Mental Health First Aid training through this project will receive training.

An Essential Component for Success in Higher Education and Beyond is our plan to implement Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training at colleges and universities in the Chicago area. The population of focus will be students enrolled in higher education in the Chicago area. College and university students have unique stresses and risk factors related to the demands of school: balancing academic, social, and employment responsibilities while being independent and away from family, friends, and other supports ? often for the first time. More than 75% of mental illnesses develop before age 24, making colleges ideal locations for early identification (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Mental Health First Aid training will help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness in young adults and improve mental health literacy on college campuses. Ten project staff members from the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute at The Chicago School for Professional Psychology will get certified as MHFA instructors in the Higher Education curriculum. These instructors will then deliver trainings at city and community colleges, four-year universities, and graduate schools throughout the Chicago area. We will recruit specific student personnel to complete the training who regularly interact with their peers in a school settings. We will also recruit other relevant personnel like faculty, academic advisors, or coaches. These training participants will learn to identify mental health concerns in students and refer them to treatment or self-help.