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Zuni Tribal Prevention Project

The Zunis are a resilient Native American tribe of 10,000 people in the high-desert plateau of Western New Mexico. Despite their rich history they face many challenges resulting from centuries of historical trauma including high suicide rates and substance dependence with over 500 emergency room visits for these issues per year. The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) will implement a comprehensive program to address these issues that will focus on service coordination and multi-tiered service provision. There are many youth-involved organizations working in Zuni, but they do not currently collaborate in a coordinated and effective manner. ZYEP is a local 501c3 non-profit tribal organization that has worked to increase the resiliency, physical, and mental health of Zuni youth for the past ten years. Through this grant, ZYEP will address these gaps. Our first goal is to increase the capacity of Zuni organizations to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior and substance use, reduce the impact of trauma, and promote mental health. Our second goal is to develop a Zuni-specific model that incorporates evidence-based practices to reduce and respond to the impact of trauma and mental and substance use disorders. Third, we will develop a more efficient system of collaboration and referral between Zuni youth-involved organizations. Additionally, we have the following objectives: 80% or more of staff in Zuni youth-involved organizations will: 1) complete trainings as mental health first aid responders; 2) complete a training in trauma informed care. Other objectives include that we will convene a consortium of Zuni leaders and a Youth Tribal Council where we discuss evidence based practices and how to adapt existing models for use in Zuni. Third, we will disseminate our findings to partnering organizations and the Zuni Tribal Government and develop and implement a three-tiered action plan. Our final objectives are to hold a meeting of all partnering Zuni organizations to discuss available resources and to develop a referral path. In accomplishing these goals and objectives, we will first conduct a community system analysis, needs assessment, readiness assessment, and asset map. We will develop a set of protocols for Zuni youth involved organizations to implement standards of care, transitions of care, incorporating evidence based clinical practices, and local traditional healers and leaders and will work with local youth-involved organizations to implement these protocols. Finally, we will develop an action plan to provide three tiers of prevention strategies. These will include a first tier for all youth with year-round youth programming. The second tier for higher risk youth will consist of 12-week internship programs. The third tier will be for high-risk youth and will consist of the services provided in the other two tiers in addition to access to a comprehensive multi-disciplinary case management program that will provide highly coordinated primary care, mental health, nutrition, legal assistance, and social work services. All activities will be conducted closely with a native youth tribal council, as well as consultation with local Zuni leaders. We will serve 500 youth in year one and annually.

The Zunis are a resilient Native American tribe of 10,000 people in the high-desert plateau of Western New Mexico. Despite their rich history they face many challenges resulting from centuries of historical trauma including high suicide rates and substance dependence with over 500 emergency room visits for these issues per year. The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) will implement a comprehensive program to address these issues that will focus on service coordination and multi-tiered service provision. There are many youth-involved organizations working in Zuni, but they do not currently collaborate in a coordinated and effective manner. ZYEP is a local 501c3 non-profit tribal organization that has worked to increase the resiliency, physical, and mental health of Zuni youth for the past ten years. Through this grant, ZYEP will address these gaps. Our first goal is to increase the capacity of Zuni organizations to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior and substance use, reduce the impact of trauma, and promote mental health. Our second goal is to develop a Zuni-specific model that incorporates evidence-based practices to reduce and respond to the impact of trauma and mental and substance use disorders. Third, we will develop a more efficient system of collaboration and referral between Zuni youth-involved organizations. Additionally, we have the following objectives: 80% or more of staff in Zuni youth-involved organizations will: 1) complete trainings as mental health first aid responders; 2) complete a training in trauma informed care. Other objectives include that we will convene a consortium of Zuni leaders and a Youth Tribal Council where we discuss evidence based practices and how to adapt existing models for use in Zuni. Third, we will disseminate our findings to partnering organizations and the Zuni Tribal Government and develop and implement a three-tiered action plan. Our final objectives are to hold a meeting of all partnering Zuni organizations to discuss available resources and to develop a referral path. In accomplishing these goals and objectives, we will first conduct a community system analysis, needs assessment, readiness assessment, and asset map. We will develop a set of protocols for Zuni youth involved organizations to implement standards of care, transitions of care, incorporating evidence based clinical practices, and local traditional healers and leaders and will work with local youth-involved organizations to implement these protocols. Finally, we will develop an action plan to provide three tiers of prevention strategies. These will include a first tier for all youth with year-round youth programming. The second tier for higher risk youth will consist of 12-week internship programs. The third tier will be for high-risk youth and will consist of the services provided in the other two tiers in addition to access to a comprehensive multi-disciplinary case management program that will provide highly coordinated primary care, mental health, nutrition, legal assistance, and social work services. All activities will be conducted closely with a native youth tribal council, as well as consultation with local Zuni leaders. We will serve 500 youth in year one and annually.

The Pueblo of Zuni’s (PoZ) Prevention Project will use Tribal values, language, and culture to implement a strengths-based approach of the Strategic Prevention Framework. Prevention services will work to decrease the number of people who begin drinking before that age of 15 by offering comprehensive evidence-based programming to 10-15 year olds. PoZ anticipates accomplishing the following goals: Goal 1: Increase the capacity of the prevention team to use culturally relevant, trauma informed, outcome and evidence-based approaches to decrease the number of people who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15. Obj 1: All staff will complete the experience and training requirements necessary to take the Certified Prevention Specialist Test within 3 years of hire. Obj 2: Staff will develop and conduct 3 trainings per year to community partners that will increase their knowledge of culturally relevant, trauma informed, outcome and evidence-based approaches to increase the age people begin drinking alcohol. Obj 3: Staff will complete training on providing trauma informed programming within the first year of funding. Goal 2: Increase the capacity of the coalition to use the SPF to decrease the number of people who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15. Obj 1: Coalition members will be trained in a data collection protocol and will collect representative data samples per the protocol each year. Obj 2: Coalition meetings will include training sessions on culturally relevant, trauma informed, outcome and evidence-based approaches to decrease the number of people who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 at least 3 times per year. Obj. 3: Coalition members will review strategy level logic models to assist in the development and refinement of strategies at least 1 time per year. Obj 4: Coalition members will review process and outcome evaluation reports for each strategy at least 2 times per year. Goal 3: Decrease the number of people who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 by implementing comprehensive evidence-based strategies within the schools and during out of school time that are strength-based, trauma informed, culturally relevant and increase protective factors. Obj 1: 60 unduplicated 10-15-year-old girls who complete 8 sessions of relationship building program will identify and use tools to establish boundaries for healthy relationships by August 2020. Obj 2, 3, and 4 are to finalize strategic plans to implement: Positive Norms Campaign, Project Venture, School Policy Development for 10-15 year olds.

The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) will implement Zuni Connections, a community driven, culturally responsive, and evidence-based program designed to promote mental health and prevent suicide among youth, ages 6-24, in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico. This will be accomplished through the following project activities: 1) providing a year-round schedule of programming that promotes protective factors and adaptive behaviors and reduces risk factors and maladaptive behaviors among 500 local youth annually; 2) implement SAMHSA’s community readiness model to increase communication and collaboration on suicide prevention protocols in Zuni; 3) increase the capacity of Zuni youth serving agencies to support youth experiencing crisis by providing their staff with suicide prevention training; and 4) establish resources that increase community-wide awareness and promote the use of mental health services. Zuni Pueblo is one of the longest continuously inhabited villages in the United States and maintains one of the most intact Indigenous language and cultural systems in North America. Located in western New Mexico’s McKinley and Cibola Counties, the Zuni Reservation spans 450,000 acres, but nearly all of the 6,302 residents live in a densely populated central village. Approximately 2,531 (40%) of Zuni’s total population are under the age of 24, making youth the largest subpopulation of the Tribe (ACS 2020 5-Year Estimate for Zuni Pueblo CDP). Zuni Pueblo’s strong familial, cultural, and natural resources can make it a special place to grow up, but many youth that do face stark realities as they transition through childhood and adolescence, including high childhood poverty rates (39%), high food insecurity rates (37%), high overweight or obesity rates (43%) and suicide rates three times the national average (2022 NM Kids Count Data Book, 2019 NMDOH BMI Surveillance, 2022 ZTPP Survey). Due to intergenerational trauma, Zuni youth are exposed to adverse experiences that increase their risk of suicide. For decades, Zuni youth have reported much higher risks for depression, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts than their state and national peers (NMYRRS, 2019). Our Native Connections work gives us hope because it’s grounded in evidence and our experience that Zuni youth with a strong cultural connection report significantly lower levels of hopelessness, self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts than youth with weaker connections to culture (ZTPP Survey, 2022).

The Muskingum, Morgan, and Coshocton counties first responder project aims to equip emergency medical service and firefighter first responders who serve the 136,824 residents of Muskingum, Morgan, and Coshocton counties, Ohio with training and ongoing technical assistance that will enable them to provide individuals experiencing substance use disorder and who are at risk of overdose OD, their families, loved ones, and peers with lifesaving naloxone, education on naloxone use, other opioid mitigation resources and connection to local harm reduction, and SUD treatment and recovery resources. The project will be led by the Muskingum Area Mental Health Recovery Services Board with support from University of Pittsburgh Program Evaluation and Research Unit and other partners at the local level. This intervention will provide training and ongoing technical assistance to 500 emergency medical service responders and 700 firefighters over the course of the four grant years. Specialized training will focus on changing EMS and FF FRs' perspectives about individuals experiencing SUD, addressing barriers and reducing stigma towards SUD, helping first responders reframe their emotions and assumptions about SUD as a disease, drawing up first responder internal motivation and empathy and developing hands on skills such as motivational interviewing principles, Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment, and the use of validated assessments like DAST 10 and the NIDA Quick Screen. At the end of the training, participating EMS and FF FRs in Ohio will be able to effectively administer and leave behind naloxone, assess patients' readiness to change, determine the best course of action to reduce the likelihood of a future OD, connect consenting patients to local treatment and recovery resources, and provide harm reduction education and information to individuals and their social network in a culturally competent and trauma informed manner. In addition to training, participating agencies will receive technical assistance on developing leave behind policies and protocols as well as developing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act complaint data sharing and care coordination protocols with local SUD services. The Ohio Department of Health will provide EMS and FF FR agencies with free intranasal naloxone doses which will include in a naloxone recovery kit left with individuals experiencing an acute OD intervention by these agencies.

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (SPBH-CCBHC) project will establish a CCBHC in Fernandina Beach, Florida, improving access to person and family centered high quality of community behavioral health services that incorporate primary health screening and monitoring for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), substance use disorders (SUD), opioid use disorders (OUD), co-occurring disorders (COD), and youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED). SPBH-CCBHC will serve 1,000 unduplicated individuals across the 4-year grant period (100 YR-1, 200 YR, 2, 300 YR-3, and 400 YR-4) It is anticipated that some participants may also be involved with the criminal justice system or child welfare. Nassau County is a rural/resort community with a population of 94,003 encompassing 726 square miles, the northeastern most county in Florida. The population of Fernandina Beach is 14,964 individuals 12.48% live in poverty. The selected location of the SPBH-CCBHC is in census tract 501.01, the lowest income area of the county, highest in health disparities, with limited access to public transportation The SPBH- CCBHC Project will develop a robust treatment program utilizing the following evidence-based/evidence-informed practices shown to be effective with the target population; Principles of Community Engagement, Same Day Access, OWL Health Measurement Based Care, Trauma-Informed Resilience-Oriented Care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Daily Living Activities 20, Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Interactive Journaling. The project will integrate primary health screening and monitoring, care coordination, case management, and peer support services to ensure a holistic treatment approach. There are six goals associated with this project: 1) To improve behavioral healthcare for individuals across the lifespan by increasing access and engagement with a trauma and culturally informed service model that incorporates a full continuum of services; to include psychiatric care, counseling, peer support, case management, care coordination, and psychosocial rehabilitation to with SUD, SMI, SED and COD in Nassau County and operate under the Federal CCBHC criteria; 2) Providing access to high-quality mental health and SUD services to the target population in Nassau County; with particular focus on groups facing health disparities, as identified in the community needs assessment in the population of focus; 3) An Advisory Committee with a minimum of 51% persons in recovery will coordinate treatment/systems linkages, monitor project goals, objectives, and outcomes, and implement a collective impact initiative.; 4) Establish a positive recovery community in Northeast Florida that meaningfully involves consumers and family members in their own care and the broader governance of the community., 5) Strengthen and sustain the infrastructure necessary to continue to uphold the CCBHC model beyond this period of grant funding.; and 6) Develop a plan for staffing, training, and delivery of all required services, including care coordination, language accessibility, and use of evidence-based practices. A comprehensive evaluation team will be led by Health-Tech Consultants (HTC) with over 40 years of experience. The evaluation team will conduct the performance assessment which will focus on planning, development and implementation; process and outcome components including achievement of project goals, objectives, and activities, project sustainability planning and the Trauma-Informed Cultural Linguistic Appropriate Service delivery. Throughout the 4-year grant period, the Project Director will meet with the evaluation team and Advisory Committee once per month to assess project development, service capacity as well as problem solve any barriers/challenges and identify service gaps or changes in need for the population. Project staff will participate in Outreach Committee meetings and activities in the area.

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare’s CMHC Access Project will expand and enhance community mental health services for individuals diagnosed SMI, SED, and COD, in and around Nassau County, Florida. It is anticipated that some participants may also be involved with the criminal justice system or child welfare. Nassau County is a rural/resort community with a population of 94,003 encompassing 726 square miles, the northeastern most county in Florida. The CMHC Access Project will develop a robust treatment program utilizing the following evidence-based/evidence-informed practices shown to be effective with the target population; Principles of Community Engagement, Integral Organizational Wellness, OpenMind, Trauma-Informed Resilience-Oriented Care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Interactive Journaling. The project will also integrate case management and peer support services to ensure a holistic treatment approach. The project will incorporate Contingency Management, an evidence-based practice that involves small rewards for completion of treatment goals, and adherence to medications. The SPBH CMHC Access Project will serve a total of 1500 individuals over the 2-year period. There are six goals associated with this project: 1) Expand capacity, increase access and engagement with trauma and culturally informed service model that incorporates a full continuum of services; to include psychiatric, counseling, peer support, case management, and psychosocial rehabilitation to adults with SMI and COD in and around Nassau County who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; 2) Develop education and outreach strategies to increase capacity to identify individuals with SED, SMI, and COD to provide early intervention, engagement, and coordination of care.; 3) An Advisory Committee will coordinate treatment/systems linkages, monitor project goals, objectives, and outcomes, and implement a successful collective impact initiative.; 4) Establish a positive recovery community in Nassau County, 5) Strengthen and Sustain the infrastructure necessary to continue to provide audio and audio-visual HIPAA compliant telehealth services to the target population; and 6) to create an environment where all staff feel that they have the support to practice appropriate self-care, are afforded an opportunity to grow, flourish, and prevent negative mental health outcomes, such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. A comprehensive evaluation team will be led by Health-Tech Consultants (HTC) with over 40 years of experience. The evaluation team will conduct the performance assessment which will focus on GPRA measures; implementation; process and outcome components including achievement of project goals, objectives, and activities, provide project sustainability planning and the Trauma-Informed Cultural Linguistic Appropriate Service standards guidance. Throughout the 2-year grant period, the Project Director will meet with the evaluation team and Advisory Committee once per month to assess project development, service capacity as well as problem solve any barriers/challenges and identify service gaps or changes in need for the population. Additionally, project staff will participate in Outreach Committee meetings and activities to knowledge and engagement throughout the region.

Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare (SPBH), together with the other members of the Northeast Florida Behavioral Health Network (NFBHN), a partnership across Northeast Florida with a footprint of 4,235 square miles and a population of 1,627,550, have committed to coordinate, strengthen, and expand efforts to provide community based mental health awareness training, education, and social marketing to youth, young adults, and their families. Our community trainers are certified in Adult MHFA to include population specific modules for Higher Education, Fire and EMS, Law Enforcement, Corrections and Public Safety, Veterans, Services Members and their families, Older Adults, and Rural Communities; Youth MHFA, and Teen MHFA as well as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Training (suicide prevention). SPBH is requesting funding to support, expand, and sustain our Talkable Communities that is teaching individuals how to respond appropriately and safely when they encounter someone who may be developing a mental health problem, or experiencing a mental health, suicide, substance abuse, or other crisis-related issue. SPBH and the rest of the NFBHN aims to decrease area service gaps by increasing capacity through our combined strength, and collective purpose by: (1) training individuals to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use disorders, particularly serious mental illness (SMI) and/or, serious emotional disturbances (SED); Develop a referral system and feedback loop to (2) establish linkages with schools and/or community-based mental health agencies to refer individuals with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to appropriate services, coping strategies, and referrals to local resources (including the five (5) network partners); (3) train emergency services personnel, law enforcement, and others to identify persons with a mental disorder and employ crisis de-escalation techniques; focusing on School Resource Officers and law enforcement that work with Mobile Response Teams (MRT), (4) educate individuals about resources that are available in the community for individuals with a mental disorder. Awareness and education activities directed at understanding current mental health status and attitudes towards mental wellbeing across all six (6) counties will involve providing MHFA and QPR to the community, professionals, and (5) Special populations including, parents/caregivers of children and youth with SED or have been involved with a MRT call, Baker Act (involuntary hospitalization), Overdose, and Pediatricians/Family care providers across the region. The project will provide tMHFA to the entirety of 10th grade students in Nassau County Schools and support network partners to ensure they will have full capacity to reach their service area with trained and prepared staff, necessary materials, and project branding. SPBH will work in collaboration with the network of partners to identify 1) remaining service gaps in training (i.e., who still needs to be trained) and 2) changes in need of the region’s priority, or focus, populations (i.e., who is the training intended to help). SPBH and the other members of the NFBHN will train 2200 individuals each year for a total of 11,000 individuals trained over the five-year project period.

The coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: (1) Reduce the availability of alcohol and tobacco in the community. (2) Educate both adults and youth regarding the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. (3) Provide alternatives to drug use, such as afterschool programs and substance free events. (4) Give youth a chance to develop healthy relationships and decrease the desire to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. (5) Provide medical assistance or counseling for youth struggling with addictions or peer influence. (6) Change laws, or modify the enforcement of laws, that contribute to youth substance use in the community.

The coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: (1) Reduce the availability of alcohol and tobacco in the community. (2) Educate both adults and youth regarding the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. (3) Provide alternatives to drug use, such as afterschool programs and substance free events. (4) Give youth a chance to develop healthy relationships and decrease the desire to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. (5) Provide medical assistance or counseling for youth struggling with addictions or peer influence. (6) Change laws, or modify the enforcement of laws, that contribute to youth substance use in the community.

The Coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: Parent education; increasing minority youth participation in youth leadership development; expansion of the Coalition's impact by researching and offering community college students a customized alcohol intervention program; student-run public forum and public awareness campaign; and Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking.

The Coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: Parent education; increasing minority youth participation in youth leadership development; expansion of the Coalition's impact by researching and offering community college students a customized alcohol intervention program; student-run public forum and public awareness campaign; and Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking.

The Coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: Parent education; increasing minority youth participation in youth leadership development; expansion of the Coalition's impact by researching and offering community college students a customized alcohol intervention program; student-run public forum and public awareness campaign; and Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking.

The Coalition will prevent and reduce youth substance use by implementing the following strategies: Parent education; increasing minority youth participation in youth leadership development; expansion of the Coalition's impact by researching and offering community college students a customized alcohol intervention program; student-run public forum and public awareness campaign; and Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking.

MHP Salud’s project, Health Outcome – Healthy Living Initiative will improve HIV and substance misuse prevention efforts for Hispanic/Latino youth ages 13-24 in Orange County, Florida. The project will be led by a Community Health Worker/Promotor(a) de Salud, who will conduct outreach and deliver evidence-based education. Staff will also deliver trainings to substance misuse providers and develop a media campaign tailored to reach youth in the region. MHP Salud is applying for $997,493.73 over the 5-year project period. Proposed activities delivered in collaboration with local community partners will support the project goal, which is to provide culturally and linguistically tailored prevention education and navigation services to Hispanic/Latino youth ages 13-24 living in Orange County. In Orange County, nearly 1 in 3 youth are Hispanic/Latino. HIV and substance misuse are especially prevalent in the area. Between 2009-2017, there was a 33% increase in HIV among youth 13-24. Roughly 23% of high school students currently drink alcohol; 6% have used cocaine; and 4% have injected illegal drugs. And when examining demographics of youth, Hispanic/Latinos have the highest rate of use compared to other groups.3-5 The Promotor(a) will conduct outreach, providing information and disseminating tailored resources. Outreach efforts, which will be supported by community leaders, will reach approximately 7,800 community residents. Classes will follow the Cuídate curriculum, a tailored HIV prevention program. An estimated 540 (Y1:90; Y2:120; Y3:120; Y4:120; Y5:90) youth will participate. Participants will demonstrate the following statistically significant outcomes: increase in positive attitudes regarding HIV risk-reduction behaviors; improvements in beliefs regarding HIV risk-reduction behaviors; increase in self-efficacy regarding HIV risk-reduction behaviors; increase in knowledge regarding HIV risk-reduction behaviors; and an increase in the proportion of participants tested for HIV. To address existing stigma surrounding substance misuse and HIV, the agency’s marketing division will develop a positive and empowering awareness campaign to improve knowledge and awareness of HIV and substance misuse among local Hispanic/Latino youth. To strengthen existing networks of care, MHP Salud staff will additionally deliver nine trainings to providers on the importance of HIV testing and clinical care. Participants will demonstrate a statistically significant increase in knowledge of HIV testing; an increase in knowledge of HIV clinical care; and an increase in intention to collaborate with HIV providers.

Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Project Abstract: The Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grant will increase the total number of individuals served by continuing to provide Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) covered services to individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. The target population to be served under this grant will be adults with serious mental illness (SMI), youth with serious emotional disturbances (SED), individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring mental health/substance use disorders (SUD). Through this expansion grant, WCCMH anticipates it will serve over 900 new individuals over 2 years, reduce hospitalization length of stay by 8%, and reduce involvement with the criminal justice system by 5% for the targeted population. Community stakeholders across Washtenaw County conducted a series of gap assessments pertaining to the unmet needs of individuals in crisis and with a mental health and substance use disorders. The assessments concluded that there is a need to expand SUD and co-occurring services, expand capacity for crisis services, and expand behavioral health services for youths. The service gap in Washtenaw County began in 2014 when the General Fund allocation to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) was cut by 60%. Those dollars had been used by WCCMH to serve uninsured and underinsured individuals in our community that had behavioral health needs. In 2019 WCCMH was awarded the CCBHC Expansion Grant and was able to provide services to the SMI, SED, SUD and COD populations who were uninsured or underinsured. If awarded, WCCMH will be able to continue on with our goal of increasing the availability of services and increasing the number of unduplicated individuals served so we can decrease unnecessary hospitalizations and involvement with the criminal justice system.

SAFE Now: Stigma and Fear End Now

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) will develop and implement a plan to address suicide prevention and mental health promotion utilizing a comprehensive and coordinated network of students, faculty, staff and community resources. To be comprehensive not only requires a wide range of participants, but must also involve efforts on many different levels; awareness, education, training, crisis response, and intervention. EMU's proposed project is titled "SAFE Now: Stigma and Fear End Now" at Eastern Michigan University. The project will serve the entire student body of 23,000, along with targeted efforts toward our LGBT students, student veterans, and students in the Honors College. Aligning with the current University infrastructure, the project will expand on current in-person training for selected faculty and staff and add online gatekeeper training for students, faculty and staff. The goal of this project is to unify current efforts across the university that are successful, but somewhat disconnected, and build on those activities to create a university-wide suicide prevention and mental health promotion plan that includes training programs, education activities, awareness campaigns and crisis response. Measurable objectives include; 1.) Increase help-seeking behaviors among EMU students, 2.) Reduce the negative attitudes and myths about mental illness and suicide that are framed in stigma, fear and lack of accurate information, 3.) Increase the number of students, faculty and staff who are able to recognize and respond to students experiencing mental health distress, and 4.) Create a community network of students, faculty, and staff, along with campus organizations and departments, that work together to promote suicide prevention.

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) will develop and implement a plan to address suicide prevention and mental health promotion utilizing a comprehensive and coordinated network of students, faculty, staff and community resources. To be comprehensive not only requires a wide range of participants, but must also involve efforts on many different levels; awareness, education, training, crisis response, and intervention. EMU's proposed project is titled "SAFE Now: Stigma and Fear End Now" at Eastern Michigan University. The project will serve the entire student body of 23,000, along with targeted efforts toward our LGBT students, student veterans, and students in the Honors College. Aligning with the current University infrastructure, the project will expand on current in-person training for selected faculty and staff and add online gatekeeper training for students, faculty and staff. The goal of this project is to unify current efforts across the university that are successful, but somewhat disconnected, and build on those activities to create a university-wide suicide prevention and mental health promotion plan that includes training programs, education activities, awareness campaigns and crisis response. Measurable objectives include; 1.) Increase help-seeking behaviors among EMU students, 2.) Reduce the negative attitudes and myths about mental illness and suicide that are framed in stigma, fear and lack of accurate information, 3.) Increase the number of students, faculty and staff who are able to recognize and respond to students experiencing mental health distress, and 4.) Create a community network of students, faculty, and staff, along with campus organizations and departments, that work together to promote suicide prevention.