Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
Fewer than half of 7.9 million adults with a serious mental illness (SMI) or serious emotional disturbance (SED) receive treatment in the United States. These individuals are involved in one out of every five police calls, occupy 20% of the beds in America’s prisons, and are the victims of over one quarter of fatal police shootings in the nation. The high level of interaction between law enforcement officers (LEOs) and individuals with SMI and SED is particularly pronounced in the State of Alabama, where fewer than 12.3% of these individuals receive treatment. Though evidence-based mental health awareness training (MHAT) models exist, implementation is lacking, particularly for LEOs in Alabama. In this project, we propose to develop a mobile Mental Health Education, Awareness, and Learning (mHEAL) program, an 8-hour online MHAT training course for LEOs, which will increase LEOs’ mental health awareness and efficacy with de-escalation techniques while simultaneously decreasing stigma associated with mental illness. We will target 405 LEOs in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, to provide the mHEAL training program. The proposed project will have two phases: (1) the development of the mHEAL training program and (2) the implementation of the program in Tuscaloosa County. Throughout the project, we will use the principles of a community-based participatory research approach and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research framework to develop, implement, and disseminate the mHEAL program. We will use two evidence-based mental health practice models, Mental Health First Aid and Crisis Intervention Training, to develop the program. The two models will be combined and tailored into a single 8-hour online training program for LEOs. Content will include detailed mental health information and wellness programming that will help LEOs serve specific at-risk populations, including veterans who suffer from SMI or SED. We will also create an awareness campaign using social and print media to draw attention to the significance of MHAT and to motivate LEOs to participate in the mHEAL training program. By working with the police chiefs in Tuscaloosa County, the program will be implemented in all nine police departments in the county. LEOs will volunteer to participate in the program, which will be completed at their own pace. Data will be collected at three time points, pre-, post-, and 6-month follow-up tests, to assess the program’s efficacy and feasibility. Should the mHEAL training program prove to be successful, we will work with law enforcement partners to disseminate and sustain the program statewide to reduce mental health training disparities for LEOs in Alabama.
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).
