Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
A project team consisting of Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty (WSU CPPS) and community partners propose providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to pharmacists, student pharmacists, and technicians in the Pacific Northwest and faculty from other College/School of Pharmacy (S/CoP) across the United States. MHFA is an internationally available training program that teaches participants to provide support to individuals who have developed a mental health problem or are experiencing a mental health crisis. MHFA training is available as an eight-hour instructor-led course that is delivered synchronously either in-person or virtual utilizing videoconferencing technology (8). The training helps participants identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders (8). The MHFA training program provides excellent generalizable knowledge regarding patients experiencing mental health crisis but creating simulated pharmacy-specific patient case vignettes will further develop participants comfort engaging with patients experiencing a mental health crisis. The proposed project is designed to improve participants comfort, confidence, willingness, and skill in providing care to patients contemplating suicide or experiencing other mental health challenges; increase knowledge of and access to community behavioral health and suicide prevention resources and referral options; and provide participants with the opportunity to self-reflect on the state of their own mental health. These goals will be achieved through an educational initiative that will take place over the course of five years. This project aims to expand access to mental health resources and services at the community level by leveraging pharmacy personnel. Over the course of five years, the project will create four MHFA trainers who will train a total of 815 participants. Project outcomes will be assessed using participant-reported survey responses pre- and post-MHFA training, and one, three and six months thereafter in accordance with WSU Institutional Review Board standards. The project will take an annual stepwise approach to increase the geographical area MHFA trained individual's practice, starting at the local level (Spokane, Washington), and expanding in subsequent years to include pharmacy personnel throughout Washington State, the Pacific Northwest (WA, ID, OR), and eventually nationwide through a network of pharmacy educators. Project participants will be pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians recruited from diverse backgrounds and practice communities, representing both urban and rural areas. Patients who patronize pharmacy locations and practice sites where the MHFA trainees work will benefit from the improved knowledge and skill of the pharmacy personnel.
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).
