Saturday, December 21, 2024
12/21/2024
America’s first COVID-19 deaths were in Northern California, and the pandemic has set fire to a host of existing rural problems. Social distancing mandated to slow spread of the Coronavirus has increased local opioid use, homelessness, economic stress, child neglect/abuse, and interpersonal violence – and resulting risk for suicide. Siyan Clinical Research (SCR), one of the largest nonprofit psychiatric service providers in Northern California, will work to prevent pandemic suicide here by establishing an Emergency Response Suicide Prevention (ERSP) Program. Our ERSP will serve at least 100 low-income, disadvantaged adults ages 25+, plus their family members in Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, and Napa Counties, including survivors of domestic violence This is a rural area with a combined population of 1,042,040 residents, and a pre-pandemic poverty level as high as 18%. Our catchment area has already been ravaged by homelessness, the opioid epidemic, and wild fires, Now, we are now experiencing widespread job loss, increased isolation, and family stress due to COVID-19. There is a concurrent rise in anxiety, depression, and family dysfunction here. Our community includes isolated tribal lands in eight sovereign tribes in Lake County, ten in Marin County, and six in Sonoma County (primarily Pomo Indians). Many residents here are coping with pandemic stress through the use of alcohol and other drugs. And research shows that people with substance use disorders (SUD) are six times more likely to complete suicide than those without SUD. And at a time when our rural residents need intervention most, traditional behavioral health services are largely unavailable. In response to this crisis, SCR will deliver an ERSP telebehavioralhealth program from 6/30/2020 – 10/31/2021, with services beginning eight weeks after funding award. The program will be facilitated by expanding our agency’s remote service delivery system (already in place via a 2018 SAMHSA MAT grant). ERSP services will be supervised by the SCR Medical Director, and will include: 1) Suicide Screening/Assessment; 2) Treatment Services (outpatient, with referral to intensive outpatient and residential care as needed); 3) Adult Suicide Crisis Follow-up; 4) Suicide Care Transition; 5) Suicide Support Services for individuals and families; and 6) Clinical Suicide Prevention Training for Local Providers and Systems. Our program will use the Zero Suicide Model and other evidenced-based practices. At least 25% of direct SCR ERSP services will serve domestic violence (DV) victims and their dependents via outreach to community DV services. Our ERSP partners include: local behavioral healthcare systems/providers, emergency departments, youth and family services, and a Family Justice program.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).