Saturday, May 18, 2024
5/18/2024
CASES’ proposed Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) program—“Promoting Mental Health Awareness in Harlem, including for Community Members with Criminal Justice Involvement”—focuses on promoting mental health awareness among two primary populations: 1) criminal justice provider staff and the individuals they monitor and/or serve along with these individuals’ family members and 2) Harlem community providers/coalitions and residents. The proposed program responds to the overreliance on law enforcement and inpatient hospitalization as responses to mental illness in Harlem, a community with high rates of resident incarceration, violence, and psychiatric and substance use-related hospitalization. The latter indicates a lack of access to and/or utilization of outpatient and other early intervention treatment services for individuals with mental illness. CASES seeks to promote improved community awareness and capacity to support individuals with mental illness through delivery of the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training curriculum augmented by Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)-guided services. CASES will leverage its program offices in Central Harlem, home to the organization’s State-licensed outpatient mental health clinic which will serve as a primary treatment referral destination for individuals identified as in need in the proposed MHAT program. These services will train and certify 1,860 individuals in MHFA over the grant term: 540 in Year 1 (by 9/30/19); 660 in Year 2 (by 9/30/20); and 660 in Year 3 (by 9/30/21). The program will a) increase the capacity of NYC criminal justice staff, Harlem providers/community coalitions, and Harlem residents including criminal justice-involved youth and adults in understanding mental illness and how to help someone with signs/symptoms of a mental health issue including in the de-escalation of acute crises; b) decrease stigmatizing attitudes toward people with mental illness that may contribute to a failure to seek mental health treatment; and c) create a comprehensive mental health treatment and service resource guide for Harlem residents.
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).
