Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4/29/2025
Care Plus NJ: Mental Health Awareness Training Initiative - Abstract: Care Plus NJ Mental Health Awareness Training Initiative Care Plus NJ's (CPNJ) Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Initiative will train individuals to recognize and respond to individuals with mental illness. This will be accomplished through expanded Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) capacities and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training modules for Youth, Adults, Public Safety and Fire/EMS in Bergen County, NJ. The population of focus are children with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and adults with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Prevalence and incidence data suggests that there are 49,317 adults with SMI and 20,106 children with SED in Bergen County. These individuals are presenting to emergency services with increasingly acute needs. Last year, the State-designated psychiatric screening program provided services to 2,799 individuals, the most seen since 2011. The State-designated children's crisis response program saw a comparable 181% increase in dispatches since 2011, the largest increase in NJ. The intended audiences to receive mental health awareness training include school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement, veterans, and armed services members and their families. There will be a particular emphasis on training law enforcement and first responders. The program will train 225 individuals in Year 1 and 300 individuals in Years 2-5, for a total of 1,425 throughout the project period. Goal 1: Increase the capacity of community stakeholders to identify and respond to individuals with mental illness, particularly SMI and SED. Objective 1.1: By the end of the 5-year project period, identified MHAT staff will train 500 individuals in MHFA and Youth MHFA. Objective 1.2: By the end of the 5-year project period, identified MHAT staff will train 475 individuals in the CIT model. Objective 1.3: By the end of the 5-year project period, identified MHAT staff will train 450 law enforcement, EMS, fire department personnel, and other first responders in the MHFA-Public Safety and MHFA-Fire/EMS modules. Objective 1.4: Upon the completion of each CIT and MHFA module training, 80% of attendees will report an improvement in knowledge of crisis intervention strategies and referral procedures. Goal 2: Establish sustainable infrastructure to effectively refer individuals with a mental illness to community resources, especially as a diversion strategy for individuals with SMI and SED in crisis. Objective 2.1: By the end of the 5-year project period, identified MHAT staff will collaborate, coordinate, and share resources with 250 other organizations as a result of the grant. Objective 2.2: By the end of Year 1, identified MHAT staff will work with community partners to identify referral tracking mechanisms to measure the impact of program activities. Objective 2.3: After graduation from a CIT or MHFA module training, 80% of respondents will report positive changes in behaviors related to individuals with mental illness based on 6-month follow up survey data. CPNJ has the infrastructure, intersystem relationships, and clinical expertise to successfully increase training capacity.
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).