Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
Under the StarCare Mental Health Awareness Training program, Lubbock Regional MHMR Center dba StarCare Specialty Health System will offer Mental Health Awareness Training with a goal of training individuals in Mental Health First Aid, establishing partnerships with community resources, and providing education about, and referrals to, resources available for individuals with a mental illness, substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders. This program allows StarCare to expand and enhance its current Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, the only MHFA program in the targeted service area. MHFA is an evidence-based practice listed on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. The individuals to receive Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) will include adults, first responders, law enforcement, and individuals who work with youth and the aging population. The program will concentrate on reaching underserved populations including LBGTQ+ individuals, the African American community, and others. The population of focus for which the training is intended to help is the community-at-large including individuals with little to no knowledge regarding mental illness, people who may not realize they require support for mental illness, and those with mental disorders. The geographic area to be served is Cochran, Crosby, Hockley, Lubbock, and Lynn counties in Texas. Per the Health Resources & Services Administration, all five counties are designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas. The goals for the MHAT program are 1.) to increase the number of individuals who receive MHFA training, offering additional training opportunities to community members throughout the service area, 2.) enhance StarCare’s current MHFA program by adding specialized training for youth, fire and EMS, public safety and law enforcement, and the aging population, 3.) decrease mental health stigma through the implementation of MHAT, MHFA, and the provision of knowledge, tools, and resources including marketing materials, advertising, and social media campaigns, 4.) increase the number of individuals referred to behavioral health agencies for assessment and treatment as a result of an intervention by an individual trained in MHFA, and 5.) increase access to tools and resources, including de-escalation strategies for people with mental illness/substance use disorders, through cooperation with community partners. The measurable objectives for this program include: budget vs. actual costs, the number of MHFA classes provided, the number of unduplicated individuals trained in MHFA, the number of referrals made to mental health or related services, establishing formal partnerships with community resources, and at least 90% of satisfaction survey responses received from MHFA training participants reporting they were “satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with the course. StarCare expects to provide MHFA training a minimum of 300 unduplicated individuals by the end of Year 1 of the program and at least 2,000 unduplicated individuals by the end of the five-year grant period.
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).
