Thursday, May 16, 2024
5/16/2024
There is a great need for increased mental health awareness training among individuals who interact and come into contact with persons who may be experiencing or exhibiting symptoms of a mental disorder. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. - 51.5 million or 20.6 percent- of adults in the U.S. experiences a serious mental illness in any given year that substantially interferes or limits one or more life activities. The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Mental Health Awareness Training Program identifies that there is a large audience of individuals in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) for which mental health awareness training will be beneficial and as such, the projects overall goals are to (1) conduct a Community Needs Assessment to gather accurate and baseline information representative of the mental health needs of the UVI community and wider USVI community; (2) increase the capacity of the individuals trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA); (3) increase the capacity of individuals training in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program; and (4) increase the capacity of individuals training in Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR) course. UVI's Mental Health Awareness Training Program will establish linkages with training recipients and Licensed Mental Health Providers to refer individuals with the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness (SMI) and/ or serious emotions disturbances (SED) to appropriate services. With over 50 years of providing direct services to the Virgin Islands community, UVI has strong and longstanding partners who are committed to addressing the gaps in services, structural barriers to seeking mental health services, and social determinants of health which impact the USVI. Within the grant cycler, the training program will train 1,475 unduplicated individuals on how to appropriately and safely respond to persons with mental disorders. UVI's Mental Health Awareness Training Program will remain committed to expanding resources and strengthening partnerships in our catchment area - the US Virgin Islands.
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).
