Thursday, May 9, 2024
5/9/2024
The Faith Alliance Intervention Towards Health (F.A.I.T.H.) project is a mental health awareness initiative that will train and provide mental health support to African American church leaders and congregations. Over the past year, health disparities, racial inequality, and social injustice were at the forefront for African Americans, triggering major mental health concerns. These mental health triggering social experiences raise immediate concern because African Americans are least likely to seek or utilized professional mental health treatment when there is a need for this service. Thus, it is vitally important that informal supports, such as churches, are equipped to recognize when mental health needs arise and use their influence to help connect them to the needed resources. Research has shown that African Americans are more likely seek help from their church before seeking professional help; therefore, since the church typically serves as the first step in the help-seeking process, this project seeks to help churches build capacity by providing training and mental health support to their leaders and congregants. This project seeks to train 1140 church leaders and members over five years in Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid. The first year, the project will train 180 participants and 240 participants each subsequent year (years 2-5). Mental health case management and consultation will be provided to churches post training to help with implementation of project goals. In an effort to understand the impact the training and support provided by the project has on improving mental health awareness and utilization, a Mental Health Training questionnaire will be administered prior to training and post training (same day, 1 month and 3 months).
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).
