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Project Name: Central New York teen Mental Health First Aid Training Project. Project Summary: Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) will provide Youth Mental Health First Aid training to 1,250 adult staff and teen Mental Health First Aid training to 14,442 high school and secondary students at 21 independent school district high schools and three OCM BOCES secondary schools in central New York. Population to be Served: The training will occur in the central New York counties of Onondaga, Cortland, and Madison County. The project will provide teen Mental Health First Aid Training (tMHFA) to 21 independent district high schools as well as three OCM BOCES secondary schools. The project will train adults at each school in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), train instructors at each school to become certified tMHFA instructors, and train students in grade 10-12 at participating schools in tMHFA. The region has a high rate of 72% higher rate of suicide mortality, and a 76.8% higher rate of child/abuse maltreatment, than the New York State average. Goal 1: All 24 participating high schools and secondary schools will achieve 10% of staff trained in YMHFA by March 2022 and 26% trained by September 2026. Objective 1.1: OCM BOCES will add a second certified YMFA instructor by December 2021. Objective 1.2: OCM BOCES will train 250 staff per year on YMFA. Goal 2: OCM BOCES and 21 participating districts will provide tMHFA training to 850 students in the first year and 3,398 students per year in the second through fifth year of the grant. Objective 2.1: OCM BOCES will coordinate training for 16 certified trainers each year. Objective 2.2: Each participating district will train at least 85% of a grade 10-12 cohort each year in tMHFA starting in the second year, totaling at least 3,398 students being trained. In the first year, as we ramp-up and due to the 10% YMHFA requirement we will train 850 students. Goal 3: OCM BOCES and 21 participating districts will sustain YMHFA and tMHFA training beyond the grant period ending 30 Sept 2026. Objective 3.1: OCM BOCES will add a third certified YMHFA instructor in FY 23-24. Objective 3.2: OCM BOCES and participating districts will increase tMHFA instructors by at least 16 instructors in FY 25-26 to account for promotions, retirement, and turnover of instructors. Goal 4: OCM BOCES, component school districts, and mental health providers will ensure mental health integration between the agencies. Objective 4.1: An annual meeting with participating schools, and mental health agencies will occur to identify current needs, address barriers, and develop, revise, and share referral processes for youth with symptoms or signs of mental illness. Objective 4.2: OCM BOCES will conduct an annual community agency showcase for school districts and families served by OCM BOCES.

The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) will implement the Youth Mental Health First Aid Project, training school staff and service providers of at-risk and houseless students in the evidence-based Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) program. In addition, CES will work organizations that support military families to offer YMHFA to parents and guardians of youth in military families. Building on the success of our Teen MHFA (tYMHFA) pilot sites, CES will implement tMHFA in five schools training 250 teen peers. Throughout the lifetime of the project we will train over 1490 school staff and service providers who work with at risk and houseless youth in CES member school districts, parents/guardians of youth from military families, leadership at local camps, and teens in our selected schools in Western MA. Schools Military Camps Houseless Teen Year 1 20 25 50 Year 2 210 25 40 25 50 Year 3 210 25 40 25 50 Year 4 210 25 40 25 50 Year 5 210 25 40 25 50 TOTAL 860 100 185 100 250 The YMHFA training will contribute to our goal of improving staff and family members knowledge and skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness in youth, and to refer individuals with the signs of mental illness to appropriate professional and self-help services. MHFA is listed in SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). YMHFA reduces stigma, improves mental health literacy, and empowers individuals. The course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorder. Participants learn to support youth developing signs of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis. YMHFA training addresses the role of trauma as a risk factor for mental illness. CES will partner with Clinical Support Options, ServiceNet, Hampshire Veterans Agency, American Camp Association, Western MA Network to End Homelessness, Community Action of Pioneer Valley, and CES school districts to provide this training.

The YMCA of San Diego County's Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) project will provide Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training to 1,200 youth-serving adults and parents/caregivers of youth ages 6-17, and teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training to 150 high school students in YMCA's camp leadership programs over 5 years, in order to better coordinate mental health services and help adults and youth identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental illness. San Diego County has over 714,000 youth under the age of 18, and is a majority-minority population comprised of 34.1% Hispanic, 45.0% White, 12.6% Asian, and 5.5% Black. Nationally, 50% of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. In addition, 64% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment, and a recent study shows that 45% of youth ages 12-17 in California report having recently struggled with mental health issues. In San Diego County, there is elevated incidence of mental health distress among the nearly 25% of individuals who are foreign-born, and one in 13 children in San Diego County has an emotional disturbance that limits participation in daily activities. YMHFA training is an evidence-based training for adults who work with youth, giving them the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to youth ages 6-17 who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. tMHFA is an evidence-based training for high school students in grades 10-12 that trains students to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. YMHFA is intended to help youth ages 6-17, and tMHFA training is intended to help friends and peers of high school students in grades 10-12. YMHFA and tMHFA will train YMCA staff and youth participating in YMCA's camp leadership programs to better identify signs and symptoms of mental illness in youth, and YMHFA will also train adults to make referrals to low- and no-fee therapy options that include a direct connection to YMCA's in-house licensed therapists. Specific project goals and objectives include: 1. Increase access to MHAT in San Diego County by certifying two individuals in YMHFA and tMHFA. 2. Increase staff and community knowledge of the signs of mental illness and how to respond by training 1,200 adults in YMHFA and 150 youth in tMHFA over five years (150 in YMHFA in Year 1, 300 in YMHFA in Year 2, 250 in YMHFA and 50 in tMHFA in Years 3-5). 90% of those trained will show improved awareness of signs and symptoms of mental illness, and will be able to identify at least one referral pathway. 3. Connect individuals who exhibit signs and symptoms of mental illness to local mental health treatment options. 100% of participants will report the ability to identify at least one mental health or related resource, and 100% of identified individuals will be referred to mental health and related services. In addition, 90% of youth trained in tMHFA will know how to connect friends and peers experiencing a mental health crisis with a trusted adult.

Healthy Community Coalition, a subsidiary of MaineHealth and part of Franklin Memorial Hospital will implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach in Franklin County, Maine to increase mental health awareness among individuals who interact and come in contact with persons experiencing or exhibiting symptoms of a mental disorder. Through implementation of evidenced-based programs this 5-year project will increase the recognition of mental health problems, provision of adequate support, and referrals for help. The project will: 1) Train individuals to recognize signs and symptoms of mental disorders and employ crisis de-escalation techniques; 2) Establish linkages with schools and mental health agencies to refer individuals with signs and symptoms of mental illness to appropriate resources; and 3) Educate individuals about resources that are available in the community for individuals with mental disorders. This project will implement a train-the-trainer model to provide sustainable and extensive course offerings using the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid training program targeting those whose lives are touched by the selected at-risk focus populations of veterans, active armed service members and school-aged children. Over the course of this grant a core of at least 920 unduplicated individuals will be trained engaging broad sectors of Franklin County including families, veterans, law enforcement agents, emergency first responders, health care professionals, and school personnel. Social media and marketing will have an extensive reach impacting several thousand individuals with messaging regarding mental health services and resources. Project partners have the capacity to respond efficiently and appropriately to the anticipated 25% increase in mental health care referrals. This comprehensive and coordinated approach to mental health awareness training will strengthen the community's capacity to identify and safely respond to individuals with signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and refer them for appropriate treatment enhancing the safety and quality of life in Franklin County.

Aspire's CIT Expansion Project will provide mental health awareness training to Orange County, FL law enforcement officers to prepare them to respond to individuals who are in crisis. The project will provide monthly Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainings, as well as assistance with the implementation and delivery of an introductory overview to mental health response to all individuals attending the local police academy at the Valencia College of Public Safety. All law enforcement agencies in Orange County will be served. Trainings will include information on recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness, including substance use and co-occurring disorders, commonly prescribed psychiatric medications, trauma, adverse childhood experiences, veterans and PTSD, autism, Alzheimer's and older adult mental health, input and personal stories from consumers, officer mental wellness, and de-escalation education and role-play practice. Project goals include: 1) Expand the capacity of local law enforcement to respond to mental health crisis calls in a manner that reduces trauma and promotes officer and community safety; 2) Build officer understanding of common symptoms of mental health and substance use disorders and the best ways to communicate with those individuals; 3) Divert individuals experiencing mental health crises from unnecessary entry into the criminal justice system. Project objective include: 1) provide 40 hour CIT training to 360 officers from local law enforcement agencies per year for five years; 2) Provide mental health awareness training to 100% of new recruits that complete the local police academy for a total of 200 recruits trained per year; 3) 80% of officers who complete the full 40-hour CIT training will show improved understanding of individuals with MH and SUDs as evidenced by achieving an 80% or higher score on the post-test; 4) 75% of yearly stakeholder surveys will report an increase in referrals to services from law enforcement officers who have completed CIT trainings. Aspire's CIT expansion anticipates serving approximately 560 officers per year, for at total of 2,700 individuals served during the five year life of the grant.

Eaton Regional Education Service Agency is applying for the Mental Health Awareness Training Grant. The application proposes to use the grant funds to build capacity in regional school districts by training school employees to be trainers in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The proposed initiative's strategy focuses on developing and supporting YMHFA trainers who are staffed by local school districts as a part of their professional role. By training staff who have relationships with and understand the unique cultures of the schools and communities they serve, the YMHFA training demonstrates an overarching support of youth mental health by both prioritizing community- and systems-level impact and leveraging existing school administration support. The goals and objectives in the grant will be achieved by both leveraging established systems and networks and expanding these systems by growing the capacity of local school districts to provide their own training. Where district capacity does not support an internal trainer, community-level trainers will provide trainings on behalf of the district. Districts have identified barriers to trainings due to time constraints and professional development days filled with academic trainings. These barriers will be addressed by offering substitute teacher reimbursements for districts who can excuse teachers for an additional day of training, or partial salary reimbursement for teachers or other staff who attend trainings on non-contractual time, such as evenings, weekends, or during the summer. A current inventory of established YMHFA trainers will be assessed to both identify gaps in trainers for geographic and district areas and to discuss barriers with current trainers. Anticipated barriers include lapsed and outdated certifications due to the pandemic and updated curriculum, staff attrition, lack of staff resources and time, and lack of days available for professional development. Mental Health First Aid USA will be contracted with to train, recertify, and update YMHFA trainers in the service area identified in the grant. The Tri County LifeSavers Coalition, an adolescent suicide prevention coalition, will serve as a steering committee for advising this work, monitoring data, and addressing barriers. The Coalition has active participants from most local school districts and other youth-serving organizations. The LifeSavers Coalition will help to establish best practice suicide prevention training plans and policies to recommend for local district adoption for long-term sustainability. The LifeSaver's coalition will also serve as a conduit for reviewing regional youth mental health data and will provide trainings and presentations to sustain community buy-in.

The Michigan Mental Health Awareness Training Grant proposed by the Michigan Rural EMS Network (MIREMS)will provide mental health awareness training to rural first responder personnel from EMS, fire, and police departments, who are in regular contact with the general public and encounter crisis situations that require de-escalation. Proposed training will also provide information and skills to help first responders meet their own mental health needs and that of their fellow responders. A recent needs assessment, conducted by MiREMS, identified that many first responders indicate personal experience with critical stress related to their role, and some revealed having suicidal thoughts. Training and services will be delivered to providers in 57 rural Michigan counties with a population of 1.8 million. Data shows that socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, age, and geography are major sources of disparity for Michigan's rural residents. The suicide death rate (2014-2018) for rural counties averaged 20/100,000 compared to the overall Michigan rate of 14. Of the 55 rural counties, 73% had suicide rates higher than the state rate. To prepare rural first responders for encounters with individuals experiencing mental health distress, MiREMS will hire a Lead Instructor Coordinator, certify instructors through Train the Trainer courses for mental health and substance use disorders, and provide training opportunities to first responders. Three programs will be utilized: (1) Michigan Department of Health and Human Services- Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Continuing Education; (2) Stress First Aid; and (3) Joint Training Programs that bring mental health professionals and first responders together for shared learning and coordination of services. Using a phased in approach, programs will be provided in seven regions for four cohorts. Programs goals include: - Goal A:Increase the number of first responders trained to recognize the signs and symptoms for serious mental illness (SMI) and/or serious emotional disturbances (SED). Objective A.1: Complete a mental health awareness training plan within six months, and build training capacity for rural Michigan counties within two years, focused on curriculum and evidence-based practices; and A.2: During the five-year grant period, implement in-person evidence-based mental health awareness training for 2930 unduplicated, rural first responders - 75 in year one, 338 in year 2, 601 in year 3, 864 in year 4, and 1052 in year 5. - Goal B: Improve collaborative relationships with community based mental health agencies to better coordinate services between first responders and mental health services. Objective B.1: Within first two months of regional implementation, develop collaborative partnerships with at least two relevant community agencies and programs within each MiREMS region to improve coordination of mental health services; and B.2: In year one, develop written and electronic mental health training materials for use by first responders to improve response to the population of focus, particularly those with SMI and/or SED.

Sertoma Centre, Inc. intends to provide Mental Health Awareness Training and Education to 10,000 people over the lifetime of the grant (approximately 2,000 per year) across identified target groups who interact with those who have increased risk for experiencing a mental illness based on trauma exposure or other risk factors. Groups targeted for Mental Health Awareness Training and Education include youth and those who interact with youth and young adults, law enforcement and first responders, veterans and their loved ones, faith based groups, local community groups, social service organizations such as local shelters for homelessness or domestic violence, and substance use providers. Training is intended to help individuals residing in underserved, predominantly minority, and low socioeconomic communities. These individuals may be at risk or are exhibiting signs and symptoms of various degrees of mental illness, including SED and SID. The psycho social and mental health needs of the population resulting from the pandemic and post pandemic will be addressed, in recognition of the disproportionately high rates of COVID infection and deaths in the targeted communities.

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma's Mental Health Awareness Training (ITO MHAT) project will serve tribal citizens, tribal-serving agencies and professionals, and community members. Iowa Tribe is a Sovereign Nation with over 800 citizens and a mostly rural jurisdiction located in the state of Oklahoma, covering Lincoln, Logan and Payne counties and a small portion of Oklahoma county which is a more urban population. ITO's MHAT project will train a minimum of 10% of our tribal population (80 individuals) in two evidence-based trainings, Mental Health First Aid Training and Crisis Intervention Team training with the goals of (1) increasing referrals to our behavioral health services, (2) increasing awareness of tribal resources and services, and (3) increasing access to services. The project will span five years and because tribal lands in Oklahoma are not demarcated reservation lands ITO's MHAT project will also positively impact the overarching communities in which our tribal citizens reside.

The Prepared To Respond 5-year initiative will train 2,300 adults who regularly interact with residents of Long Island, NY to identify and de-escalate mental health crises and issues. Trainees will comprise receptive groups of school personnel (including teachers), law enforcement and emergency services personnel, healthcare workers, team members of area soup kitchens and food pantries, government-service employees, Veterans, and people who routinely interact with Veterans, including family members. Our population of focus the end-beneficiaries of those receiving training is the general public (children and adults) who will benefit from a more widespread ability of everyday service providers and neighbors who can recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental illness and/or a mental health crisis. Our catchment area is Nassau and Suffolk Counties, NY. This highly populated suburban, mixed demographic region east of New York City matches the service area of our nonprofit agency, CN Guidance & Counseling Services (lead applicant), a major provider of integrated mental health and substance use disorder services in the region. We also have 15+ signed partners committed to this initiative. Even prior to spiking mental distress during the Covid crisis of 2020 to present, our region has suffered from disproportionate prevalence of serious mental health conditions that result in emergency room usage and/or inpatient hospitalization. Among ALL eleven regions across NY State, Long Island (L.I.) was shown, by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) in a 2016 DSRIP (Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment) report, to have the highest percentages of: (1) ER visits for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and chronic stress and anxiety diagnoses; (2) inpatient admissions for bipolar disorder; and (3) inpatient admissions for opioid use disorder. In 2020, opioid overdoses spiked 40%-50% compared to year-prior, reversing two years of progress in both L.I. counties against a battle that has claimed more than 4,000 lives since 2010. Since this is a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area, training individuals across our area in the basics of mental health first aid will save and improve lives. The project will address current needs by delivering 6+ hours of evidence-based Mental Health First Aid training to each of 2,300 individuals. Those trained will be distinguished by: (a) their daily contact with the public (children and/or adults), including with vulnerable populations; (b) their receptivity to receiving training and acting on it; and (c) the commitments of signed partnering organizations who will engage more such individuals (and when they are employers, free up time for these individuals to attend 6+ hours of training). Training cohorts will range in size from 5 to 30. Via data collection, we will report on the number of people that trainees have referred to mental health resources in the periods following each individual's training. This Initiative will serve 4,300+ people: 2,300 individuals trained plus 2,000+ individuals likely to be referred to mental health services by the trainees in months/years after the training.

Project Abstract The proposed project titled Project Recognition, Empowerment, and Action for Child mental Health (REACH) focuses on training a broad community network of people in North Central Florida to recognize the signs of mental health concerns among youth and to intervene appropriately. To expand current mental health programming, the project will provide training in multiple counties in North Central Florida and includes the following two components: (a) adult trainings in multiple settings, and (b) a social marketing campaign. Project staff will use the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) curriculum to train adults in the community who have frequent contact with youth. The project staff will offer 10 trainings in Year 1 to train 300 adults, 12 trainings in Year 2 to train 360 adults, 14 trainings in Year 3 to train 420 adults, and 16 trainings in Year 4 and 5 to train 480 adults for each of these two years (30 participants for each training session). Expected outcomes include increased numbers of trained community members in YMHFA, reduced stigma of mental health disorders in youth, and increased referrals for mental healthcare. The ultimate goal of Project REACH is to train 2,040 adults throughout the grant-funding period. Referral sources are also identified in all participating North Central Florida counties and related information about the referral process will be provided during trainings. Project staff will train pre-service professionals, including pre-service teachers, principals, medical professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses), and other college students seeking careers with frequent contact with youth at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. For pre-professionals, supplementary instruction will be provided in rural mental health and risk factors for diverse and underserved youth. To reach underserved populations of youth, Project REACH staff will conduct regular trainings in rural and high-poverty communities throughout the catchment area in North Central Florida with the support of the housing authority, rural school districts, afterschool programs, and churches. Project REACH will implement a social marketing campaign designed to promote greater awareness of mental health concerns and reduce stigma across the North Central Florida region. By training an array of community members and pre-service youth professionals, Project REACH will create a sustainable network for continuing to enhance mental health literacy following the completion of the grant period.

The Association for Mental Health and Wellness (MHAW) proposes to provide mental health awareness training services to residents, employees and organizations of Suffolk County (SC), New York, as part of the 2021 Mental Health Awareness Training grant from SAMHSA. The #MHSTRONG2021 project is using the Mental Health First Aid curricula, both Youth and Adult (Public Safety module), interactive courses that present an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders. Trainees will be introduced to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems to build understanding of their impact and common treatments. The primary beneficiaries will be children/youth, ages 6-18, with serious emotional disturbances (SED), complex trauma histories and/or involved in the juvenile justice system; and adults, ages 19 and older, with serious mental illnesses (SMI) and/or involved in the criminal justice system. There is a growing need for mental health awareness among individuals who interact and/or work with individuals with SEDS/SMIs,with a history of trauma, and/or who are involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Gaps in services persist due to limited mental health and substance abuse providers, and the lack of awareness. SC children and youth, particularly those of color with complex trauma histories, and who are critically vulnerable to the impact of COVID, poverty and MS-13 gang recruitment; and could benefit from mental health support. SMIs/SEDs and trauma are especially heightened during pandemics and anxiety-related behaviors and overall lower perceived states of health are common (Psychiatric Times, 2020). Moreover, low-income and communities of color are experiencing higher death rates from COVID-19; and compounded by schools closures, children are in desperate need of care as they struggle with isolation and fear, and other factors that exacerbate mental illnesses. Similarly, among SC adult populations, there are greater numbers with mental illness as a result of COVID and criminal justice involvement. Recent COVID-related feedback from families living in under-resourced communities of color revealed that most fear homelessness and hunger, unemployment, trauma and loss from being sick or family and friends being sick or dying, behavioral health and addiction issues, increased in family violence, and concerns about mental health and child safety issues, among others. Additionally, adults who are involved in the criminal justice system are at critical risk of SMIs/SEDs and will be a primary focus. In fact, more than one third of the total SC inmate population are referred to the Mental Health Unit during incarceration. Nearly 78% have co-occurring substance-related diagnoses (Inmates Referred for Mental Health Services at the SC Correctional Facilities, 2012). To addresses these deficiencies, the #MHSTRONG2021 project will train a total of 4,780 individuals by the end of 2026; 956 on average annually, to help increase the capacity of trainees to reduce high risk behaviors of SC children, youth and adults with SMIs/SEDs; and safely and appropriately identify, respond to and refer individuals to mental health and related services.

The Deputy Empathy Awareness Training (DEAT) Program will provide Mental Health First Aid Training to professionals working at the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's (LASD) Inmate Reception Center. The Inmate Reception Center if the first point of entry and the last point of contact between inmates at all Los Angeles County jails, the largest jail system in the world. LASD professionals include correctional officers, deputies, and general staff within these facilities. These professionals have a high incidence of contact with individuals who may have mental health disorders, especially given that people with a history of incarceration have higher rates of illness. Center for Health Justice, a leading public health and prevention provider in Los Angeles County, will provide 88 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings to 560 LASD professionals. Each training will average 5 participants. (Year 1: 16 trainings for 80 people, Year 2: 24 trainings for 120 people, Year 3: 24 trainings for 120 people, Year 4: 24 trainings for 120 people and Year 5: 24 trainings for 120 people). Center for Health Justice is working with LASD the largest sheriff's department in the United States - to reach the professionals who are key points of contact for individuals who might benefit from linkage to services. The targeted professionals frequently encounter people who may have a mental health crisis and they are have limited training in mental health awareness or de-escalation techniques. Law enforcement personnel and first responders are at greater risk than the general public of experiencing mental health challenges in their lifetime due to constant exposure to traumatic experiences. Participants will learn concrete information about specific mental health disorders and to use the ALGEE method for providing aid: Assess for risk of suicide or harm, Listen nonjudgmentally, Give reassurance and information, Encourage appropriate professional help, and Encourage self-help and other support strategies. The DEAT Program will utilize the Adult MHFA curriculum and will also utilize the MHFA for Public Safety module as appropriate for the training audience. The MHFA Public Safety module is specifically designed for first responders and addresses recognizing mental health challenges in other public safety staff. The DEAT Program will increase (1) the number of LASD professionals who are trained in MHFA; (2) the ability of LASD professionals to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental disorders when responding to individuals in correctional settings and when they are exhibited by other public safety staff; and (3) the number of individuals referred for behavioral health and support services made by public safety professionals. Center for Health Justice anticipates that at least 260 individuals will be successfully referred for behavioral health services or supports as a result of this grant.

The NATIVE HEALTH Indigenous AWARE Project overall goal is to improve mental health outcomes for indigenous youth and young adults in Maricopa County with possibilities to extend throughout Arizona. Through this initiative we intend to train up to 410 individuals in YMHFA, MHFA, ASIST, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Cultural Competency in Year One. In years 2-5, the agency will expand the network to include an additional 150 trainees in YMHFA and/or ASIST in Tribal communities across Maricopa County and rural areas in Arizona. Indigenous AWARE will increase the mental health literacy of youth serving organization, school personnel, behavioral health providers, and other community based agencies to recognize serious emotional disturbance and respond safely and appropriately. Outreach strategies include development of an Infographic that illustrates mental health disparity in the as well as advancements in health literacy; the development of a training plan that will include guides for all three training programs; and a Referral Tool that will provide a list of providers and other services for the target audience. Finally, through this initiative we intent to train up to 25 professional individuals in YMHFA to become future facilitators. To this end, we will engage approximately 2,650 individuals in mental health awareness training.

The Institute of Research, Education, and Services in Addiction (IRESA) of the Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), proposes Puerto Rico Mental Health Awareness Community Response (PRMHACR) Project. This project will train school personnel, emergency first responders, fire department personnel, law enforcement, veterans, armed services members, and their families among others on how to respond to individuals appropriately and safely with mental disorders, particularly individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or serious emotional disturbances (SED). The PRMHACR 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, strengthen and expand the community response to the segments of the vulnerable communities experiencing social determinants of poverty and unemployment and at risk of developing any mental health disorder. PRMHACR will train 1,180 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), Mental Health First Aid for Veterans (MHFA-Veterans) among others. This will be accomplished by increasing the mental health literacy of individuals interacting with youth, older adults, and rural populations (YOARP) to recognize warning signs and symptoms, make appropriate referrals, and employ crisis de-escalation techniques when necessary. To ensure this identification, early referral and crisis de-escalation occurs, the project will establish a network of service providers, community leaders, local government officials, and health insurers to facilitate access to needed services. The implementation of PRMHACR aims to build, strengthen, and expand the capacity of the MNHR community members 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.

The Amherst Youth Mental Health Awareness project will serve approximately 3,000 students in grades preK-12 in the Amherst Central School District in Erie County, NY. Training will be provided for district staff as well as staff of its seven partner agencies in Youth Mental Health First Aid, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools, and Family Systems Theory. Students in grades 10-12 will be provided training in Teen Mental Health First Aid. Population to be served: Approximately 3,000 students in grades preK-12 in the Amherst Central School District. Demographics of this population are: 66% White, 14% African American, 9% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 5% Multiracial, 12% Students with Disabilities, 6% English Language Learners and former English Language Learners, and 36% Economically Disadvantaged (eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch). Strategies and Interventions: Youth Mental Health First Aid, Teen Mental Health First Aid, Family Systems Theory, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools Goals of the project include: 1) Establish a cohesive framework for understanding the role of schools, community and families in supporting the mental health of students; 2) Increase the capacity of the Amherst community to identify signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, assist youth experiencing mental health problems, and de-escalate crises; 3) Increase the capacity of the Amherst community to safely support a potential crisis situation through the use of research-based de-escalation strategies and 4) Strengthen and develop relationships with and awareness of community-based mental health agencies to ensure appropriate referral of individuals with signs or symptoms of mental illness. People trained by year: Year 1-511; Year 2-970; Year 3- 864; Year 4- 149; Year 5- 189. Total: 2,683.

Behavioral Health and Developmental Services of Strafford County, Inc., d/b/a Community Partners, is the designated mental health provider for Catchment Region 9 in New Hampshire which encompasses all of Strafford County. Community Partners has offered Mental Health Awareness training since 2014 on a limited basis through the Mental Health First Aid program. This program was developed in Australia and is part of Mental Health First Aid International. In the US it is offered through the National Council for Behavioral Health. The program will assist the community in addressing mental health problems at a community level and provide an important first step to identifying and providing assistance to someone with a mental health issue. This grant will help us to expand this training to various subgroups or population in Strafford County such as public safety, veterans and the elderly. Project Goals include: 1. Increasing the awareness and capacity of local school districts to recognize and respond to students experiencing possible mental health issues to catch problems before they escalate by a. Training 25% of school staff in a given district in Youth Mental Health First Aid year one. b. Increasing to 40% in year two, 55% in year three, 70% year four and 85% in year 5. 2. Increasing the awareness and capacity of local public safety staff, i.e. police, first responders to handle mental health crisis arising in the community and gain the skills to de-escalate mental health crisis, helping to avoid hospitalization and/or incarceration by a. Training 10% of local public safety staff in the county in Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety the first year and increasing training by 10% each year. 3. Decreasing emergency room visits for children under age 18 with mental health issues by a. Training 10% of EMTs and first responders in de-escalation techniques and proper referral protocols to avoid emergency room visits and increasing training by 10% each year. 4. Reduce the social distance created by negative attitudes and perceptions of individuals with mental illnesses 50% by a. Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale survey at three months post training will show a 50% decrease in participants negative attitudes and perceptions of individuals with mental illness. 5. Develop a post questionnaire that seeks to determine how frequently trained individuals use the skills at three months, six months, one year and two years by a. Analyzing data and developing reporting protocols for information and list of appropriate staff to receive report within first year and reporting by the end of the second year. The program will train 1,887 individuals (Year 1: 272, Year 2: 391, Year 3: 408, Year 4: 408, Year 5: 408) in Strafford County in Mental Health First Aid during the five-year grant period including, youth, schools, elders, law enforcement, first responders and Veterans to enable the participants to de-escalate mental health issues in the community to help avert hospitalization and/or arrest.

Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes (FCSFL) will train school staff (teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, aides, etc.) and community agency staff who work with at-risk youth, in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). The focus of the Mental Health Awareness Training program will be on the three districts of the Seneca County Community Schools Consortium. We will also partner with Glove House and the United Way of Seneca County to ensure our programs have extended reach in our region. The training will ultimately benefit the young people in three high-needs rural school districts in Seneca County, NY: Seneca Falls, South Seneca, and Waterloo. YMHFA and ASIST are both evidenced based programs that teach adults how to identify students in crisis and strategies to use to help de-escalate, intervene and refer the student to mental health resources. We partner with Seneca County Community Counseling, who delivers mental health services conducted by licensed psychologists and social workers. Accessibility to mental health care will be addressed directly by improvement in the number of screenings and the number of school aged youth served. During this project, we will train 50 Regional Turnkey Trainers in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and 18 in YMHFA. In addition, by the end of the fifth year, 1,760 Youth Mental Health First Aiders (teachers, aides, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, law enforcement, and community partner staff) will be trained in YMHFA. 2,000 staff will be trained in ASIST. These efforts will continue beyond the funding of this grant with the annual capacity to train and retrain over 800 community members in each evidenced based program moving forward: Goal 1: Increase the capacity of participating school districts to recognize and appropriately respond to students experiencing mental health problems. Objective 1-1: By September of 2026, 1,900 professional staff will be trained as implementers in YMHFA or ASIST. Objective 1-2: By September of 2026, 1,860 community members and support staff will be trained as implementers in YMHFA or ASIST. Objective 1-3: By the end of the 2025-26 school year, the number of referrals for mental health care will increase to 2600. Goal 2: Increase the capacity of participating school districts to partner with community agencies to refer and support students experiencing mental health problems. Objective 2-1: The number of students aged 14-18 screened annually for behavioral health concerns will increase from baseline by 50% by the end of the 2025-26 school year. Objective 2-2: The number of school-aged youth served annually by Seneca County Community Counseling and Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes will increase from baseline by 35% by the end of the 2025-26 school year.

The Notice. Talk. Act. at School (NTA) Mental Health Professional Development Program seeks to train teachers and other relevant school personnel in middle schools and high schools: to raise awareness to help teachers and relevant school personnel notice emerging mental health conditions, increase their capacity to talk with students about emerging mental health conditions, and increase the knowledge of teachers and school personnel to act by connecting students who may need mental health care to resources and treatment. The key messaging of the program is NOTICE.TALK.ACT. Teachers and school personnel work closely with teenagers and are ongoing observers of their usual behaviors, social interactions and emotions. Therefore, teachers and school personnel are uniquely situated to promote positive mental health, resilience and coping skills. The NTA program delivers the curriculum over a 2-step process, uniquely designed to fit the desired professional development training time frame that schools look for, which is between 90-120 minutes. Step 1 begins with an online e-learning module. This module creates a baseline of knowledge for teachers and relevant school personnel on the notice portion of the NTA key framework and also addresses the talk and act components of the training. It is interactive with videos, audio play backs, and quizzes to assess knowledge and provide real-time feedback to users. Data from the final assessment can help elucidate staff concerns or areas of improvement that facilitators of the in-person classroom module (Step 2) can then use. Step 2 of the NTA curriculum is a tailored classroom module. This module is delivered by NTA certified trainers, psychiatrists working in collaboration with the school and community-based mental health professionals. To ensure that each school's classroom training is relevant to all staff, key pieces are tailored to: student demographics, current concerns of educational staff, community trauma that may be impacting students and staff, and current available resources. This portion of the curriculum focuses on the talk and act portions of the program. The certified trainers and school and community mental health providers work together to address the availability of both school and community mental health resources, including services and supports for students and families. There are five key performance indicators that we will track to measure the efficacy of the Notice. Talk. Act. at School: student truancy, discipline referrals, support services referrals, major mental health events, and framework implementation. Our goals, over each two-year evaluation period, are to: decrease the student truancy rate in each enrolled school by 33% by implementing Notice. Talk. Act. framework to address truancy related behaviors; increase support services referrals seen by each school support team by 33% by effectively educating school personnel about the available services and supports in their community; decrease discipline referrals by 50% by identifying and addressing behavior issues before escalation; decrease major mental health events 50% by proactively connecting students to appropriate care; facilitate trainings such that 90% of trained individuals use the Notice. Talk. Act. framework. With MHAT Grant Funding expected number of teachers and school personnel trained is: Year 1: 4,800 Year 2: 5,200, and Year 3: 5,700, Year 4: 6,400, Year 5: 6,900. The total number of teachers and school personnel that will be trained is 28,900.

The Tooele County Mental Health Awareness Augmentation Project aims to vastly increase the number of citizens trained in a form of mental health awareness such as Question, Persuade, Refer, Mental Health First Aid, and Working Minds. The aim of the project is to train those who work closely and live with youth and adults who are currently diagnosed with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and those at higher risk of suicide (for example, Hope Squad advisors, religious leaders, employers, etc.). Current data indicates that 70% of all Tooele County students grades 9-12 reported experiencing high or moderate depressive symptoms in 2019, and that 30% of students indicated that they felt sad or hopeless for more than two weeks in a row in the past year. Other data indicates that Tooele County currently outranks every other region statewide in rates of depression (26.7% of age-adjusted adults) and ranks highly in the category of "Seven or More Days of Poor Mental Health in the Past 30 Days" (19.2%). Most distressingly, as of the time of this writing, vital record data from the Tooele County Health Department indicates that there have been 5 suicides since January 1st, 2021 all of which presents a significant and urgent need for widespread mental health awareness training countywide. Finally, according to the America's Health Rankings report, Utah comes in 34th for Access to Care. Despite these alarming statistics, Tooele County also boasts several community coalitions and resources to address these pressing issues. While there are a number of coalitions and passionate providers of mental health awareness trainings such as Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, Refer, and Working Minds (MHFA), and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, what is sorely lacking is coordination of these efforts at a Local Substance Abuse Authority level. It is the aim of this project to hire a minimum part-time coordinator to oversee the promotion, propagation, and data collection of the aforementioned mental health awareness trainings and to connect those in need to resources on a much greater level. It is expected that through this project, the overall number of Working Minds and MHFA trainings in Tooele County will increase by as much as 50% year after year, training no fewer than 1000 individuals yearly in any or all of the aforementioned programs for a total of no fewer than 6000 individuals by 2026. Additionally, it is expected that through the project the CIT program will be able to perpetuate, ultimately resulting in a measured increase in police men and women's confidence in using de-escalation technique and connecting those they serve with appropriate mental health resources.

McCall Center for Behavioral Health serves a community with an identified deficit of mental health resources. This deficit further compounds the challenges faced and increases the need for accessing mental health resources by our populations of focus - seniors, populations of color, and law enforcement. Utilizing our position as a collaborative leader in the community and our expertise in providing quality mental health treatment, McCall will lead the training and education of service providers, the general public, and members of our populations of focus to increase the availability and accessibility of mental health resources in the region. By focusing on Training, Education, Network Building, Data Collection, and Sustainability, our approach will ensure broad and effective integration of mental health awareness training skills and education where they are needed most. McCall is positioned and has the ability to train, refer, and provide high quality mental health treatment to residents across the region, ensuring that we can be a one-stop-shop for mental health services. However, our collaborative approach will promote systemic changes within partnering service providers across the region that will both further the integration of these necessary skills and improve the overall sustainability of mental health resources well beyond the grant period.

Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana, or MHANI, will provide evidence based and no cost mental health awareness and crisis intervention trainings, referral supports, and introductory presentations throughout Indiana. Populations to receive training include family members, caregivers, and professionals who interact often with individuals facing a mental health condition or crisis. MHANI intends to reach 2,500 training attendees in Year 1, 3,000 in Year 2, 3,500 in Year 3, 4,000 in Year 4, and 4,500 in Year 5, for a total of 17,500 attendees. Trainings through the Mental Health Awareness Training program will include CPI Verbal Intervention, Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid, Question Persuade Refer, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, and safeTALK with the goal of dramatically improving preparation and knowledge for persons who may encounter community members experiencing a mental health crisis or newly emerging mental illness. These evidence based trainings will be facilitated by certified instructors and adhere strictly to the established models. During trainings, instructors will educate participants on recognizing a need for mental health assistance, tools for intervention, and where to find information to effectively refer community members to necessary services. During trainings, participants will receive materials outlining local resources to assist helping professionals in making referrals. Following training, MHANI advocates will be available to assist MHAT participants in accessing appropriate services through no cost consultations by phone, video conference, or in person. Follow up surveys will be conducted within 5 to 10 business days of the initial consultation with the goal of achieving 80% satisfaction from consumers. Overall, the MHAT program will raise mental health awareness and preparation of community members in positions to help adults and youth facing mental illness.

The Plumas Rural Services - MHAT project provides mental health awareness gatekeeper and intervention trainings throughout frontier rural Northeastern California to equip professional and lay people with the knowledge and skills to identify, assist, and refer for services any individual with signs and symptoms of mental illness and/or suicidal thoughts or behaviors. The project includes a coordinated mental health outreach and public awareness campaign. Populations to be Served: This project serves the residents of Plumas, Sierra, Lassen and Modoc Counties in California. Training will be offered to the general population, though targeted outreach efforts will be made for specific subpopulations. Those trained will be able to identify, support, and safely intervene with individuals at risk of or actively experiencing mental health distress, including those with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and/or Serious Mental Illness (SMI), in the populations of focus for this project: youth, college students, veterans/their families, native Spanish-speakers, first responders, and the general population. Strategies/Interventions: This project will support several community facilitators in becoming Certified Trainers in three evidence-based gatekeeper and/or intervention trainings to promote awareness of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and suicide risk. The project will expand its outreach and trainings to a regional and culturally diverse audience. The project will work with a collaborative group to coordinate community response to mental health issues and create tools and resources to distribute to promote this effort. The project will also implement a public awareness campaign to decrease stigma and increase familiarity with mental illness. Goals/Objectives: Primary project goals are to: (1) train those who interact with vulnerable or underserved populations to recognize signs and symptoms of mental disorders and safely and appropriately intervene; and (2) educate Northeastern California residents about mental health issues and community resources. Measurable objectives include: (1) certify 2 local facilitators as Mental Health First Aid-Adult Trainers, 1 as a Mental Health First Aid-Teen Trainer, and 1 as a Mental Health First Aid-Youth Trainer by 2026; (2) certify 2 local facilitators as ASIST Trainers and 1 as a safeTALK Trainer by 2026; (3) bring 2 CIT/5150 trainings to the region by 2024; and (4) train 500 unduplicated individuals in MHFA, CIT, safeTALK, and/or ASIST (150 unduplicated per year); (5) coordinate outreach, awareness, and community response to mental health issues through the MHAT Working Group; (6) create monthly virtual workshops to conduct outreach, promote awareness, and facilitate discussion about mental health; and (7) build relationships and create comprehensive mental health resource lists and referral protocols for Sierra, Lassen and Plumas Counties that can be distributed at trainings.

Delivery: Provide in person training to up to 30 people per training. Provide General Mental Health First Aid to the general public once per month in Chenango County and once per month in one of the neighboring counties. Additionally, provide either Youth, Older Americans, Veterans, or First Responder training twice per month in rotating counties for specific audiences. Minimum total of 36 trainings per year. 792 persons trained per year at minimum, 1080 maximum The Executive Director CHN is the PI/PD on this project. The Deputy Director, Master MHFA trainer, of Chenango Health Network will be the Project Coordinator for MHAT. She will conduct outreach to local Frist responders, health care professionals, schools, and other health and human service agencies to promote Mental Health First Aid Classes. Working with Ruth Roberts, the Director of Chenango County Behavioral Health, Chris will develop a streamlined process for people having taken MHFA to make referrals to Behavioral Health services in Chenango County.

The Prisma Health Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) project will implement an evidence-based program (EBP), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), to deliver mental health awareness training to those individuals who serve public safety officers and their families (including school-age children), living in the Upstate and Midlands regions of South Carolina. The project will benefit law enforcement and the communities they work within, veteran law enforcement sub-populations, school-age children and educators, the addiction and recovery communities, and the LGBTQ+ communities. Individuals and organizations interacting with these populations will receive training in Mental Health First Aid in order to identify those in need of intervention, de-escalate crisis situations and refer individuals and families to appropriate mental health resources. The project goal is to prepare and train public safety officers, and those working with public safety officers and their families, to appropriately and safely respond to individuals that may be experiencing mental and emotional distress. The measurable project objectives are: -Train 1000 unduplicated individuals annually who serve or interact with law enforcement and their families in the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Curriculum, for a total of 5,000 served over the entire five-year grant project. This includes training school personnel, emergency services personnel, veterans, higher education, fire department personnel, LGBTQ+ community and family members, and others potentially interacting with the populations of focus to identify persons with a mental disorder and employ crisis de-escalation techniques. - At least 90% of those trained will show increased understanding of how to help individuals with a mental disorder based upon pre/post tests provided by the MHFA training. - Compile and distribute at least 5,000 focus population-specific lists of resources that are available for all targeted counties for individuals with a mental disorder over the five-year period. This project will deliver mental health awareness training through the Mental Health First Aid program on matters including recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness and identifying resources available in the community for individuals with a mental illness and other relevant resources.