Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
The 2nd Alarm Project is a successful, multi-faceted, evidence-based outreach and intervention approach to addressing the behavioral health and substance use needs of first responders in the Florida Panhandle. By leveraging our existing infrastructure, resources, and partnerships, we will deliver evidence-based and culturally competent mental health awareness training to three primary populations: 1) first responders, 2) adult family members of first responders, and 3) mental health providers working with first responders. The project goals are to: A) Train emergency first responders and their families and caregivers to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness (SMI) and/or serious emotional disturbances (SED); B) Build capacity for evidence-based first responder peer support teams and develop local linkages with community-based mental health agencies to refer first responders and family members with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to appropriate services; and C) Develop and deliver evidence-based cultural competency trainings to mental health providers who work with the first responder population. Providing our first responders evidence-based mental health training also has the added benefit of better preparing them to identify persons with mental disorders encountered while working and employ crisis de-escalation techniques with the public. In addition, by building on the 2nd Alarm Project’s current successful mass-reach health communications campaign, we will develop and implement evidence-based social marketing and awareness campaigns. The campaigns are intended to reduce stigma about mental illness among first responders, raise awareness of the need for culturally competent professional mental health providers, and recruit new first responder organizations into our service delivery model. The catchment area includes the 20 FL panhandle counties currently included in the 2nd Alarm Project. The catchment area demonstrates widespread geographic rurality, where mental health issues are exacerbated by lack of economic, social, and health care resources. First responders in our catchment area experience higher rates of behavioral health and substance use disorders than previously believed and exhibit lower rates of help seeking behaviors. Reported barriers to care include many issues that can be addressed through more broad-based mental health awareness training and linkages to proficient providers. Furthermore, the mental health of first responders in these areas has been disproportionately impacted due to frontline work on the COVID-19 pandemic and issues of recent civil unrest within our communities. While misunderstandings, mistrust, stigma, and criticism have created a boundary between first responders and mental health services, this grant will amplify and expand the successes the 2nd Alarm Project has achieved with our population.
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).
