Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
The Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health proposes to implement the Youth Empowered Solutions to Succeed (YESS) to improve emotional and behavioral health functioning of youth and young adults, age 16-25, who have serious mental disorder(s) so they can maximize their potential to successfully transition into adulthood. This will be accomplished through improved assessment and access to evidence-based treatment and support. Implementation sites are Salt Lake County (focusing on youth who are or at risk of becoming homeless) and Utah County (focusing on youth experiencing first episode psychosis). YESS will develop a coordinated state system to support local implementation and a seamless local system to provide outreach, engagement, treatment, case management, and recovery support. Treatment and support will include wraparound, occupational therapy, cognition-based intervention, supported employment, supported education, and peer support services. According to the National Law Center on Homeless and Poverty, Utah ranked 44th in the nation for supporting youth experiencing homelessness. The Salt Lake County Homelessness Steering Committee identified transition-aged youth and individuals with behavioral health disorders as populations with distinct needs. Based on the incidence rate of 0.03% per year for the first episode psychosis (FEP), there would be 181 new FEP cases every year. The average time between a person experiencing FEP and entering into formal treatment is more than one year. The reduction in this duration of untreated psychosis produces better functioning outcomes. YESS will allow Salt Lake County to help homeless youth with serious mental disorders to access needed mental health services and to successfully transition into adulthood. It will also enable Utah County to identify persons with FEP and provide fast entry into specialty care services so they may resume age appropriate functioning into adulthood. Goal 1: Improve the functioning of 320 Y/YA in health, community and daily living, employment, educatoin and housing in five years (year 1: 40; year 2-5: 70 each year) a. Strengthen outreach and engagement with the population of focus b. Provide evidence-based and -informed services to the population of focus c. Integrate cultural competency and family/youth empowerment into services Goal 2: Strengthen youth and family empowerment at state and local levels a. Integrate youth and family voices in all levels of decision-making b. Ensure Y/YA and families are supported in their leadership/advocacy roles Goal 3: Enhance state and local infrastructure to support youth-in-transition services a. Organize State and Local Transition Teams to coordinate and collaborate on youth-in-transition services b. Develop and implement strategies for social marketing, outreach, identification, engagement, and intervention of youth-in-transition services
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).
