Upstream 2: Increasing mental health and trauma identification and referrals for youth ages 12-18 years - Project Name: Upstream 2: Increasing mental health and trauma identification and referrals for youth ages 12-18 years
Population to be served and need: The proposed 5-year Upstream 2 project will target 900 providers and professionals serving youth and young adults ages 12 to 18 years and their families. The catchment area encompasses 6 primarily rural, bordering counties of New Hampshire and Vermont spanning 5,519 square miles. The population is largely Caucasian, and many towns suffer from higher than average poverty and unemployment levels. The targeted counties continue to be in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis. Numerous service sectors have observed an unprecedented increase in the mental health (MH) needs of youth due to the rises in child neglect and abuse associated with this crisis. These needs have been accentuated by COVID-19 restrictions and isolation. Professionals and providers working with youth are overwhelmed by the influx of MH needs. Many are unfamiliar with how to identify MH needs, de-escalate crises, or make targeted referrals for treatment. Yet early intervention is key to preventing or mitigating the long-term effects of MH disorders.
Strategies/evidence-based practices: Upstream 2 will provide evidence-based MH and trauma training, consultation, resources, and referral linkages to educators, emergency responders, organizations supporting military families, and other community and service providers serving youth ages 12-18 years old. Training and consultation will occur in two 30-month cohorts spanning 6 counties along the VT and NH border along the Connecticut River. We will use a standardized, 6-hour evidence-based curriculum, refined in a prior MHAT grant and tailored to the target age range. The training focuses on identifying signs of trauma and MH symptoms, strategies for de-escalation, identifying resources in the community, and processes and tools to facilitate referrals to partnering MH agencies in each community. Trainees will also have access to the Upstream 2 consultation program connecting them with a county-based MH expert to assist with the identification of MH disorders in youth as well as linkages to treatment.
Goals and measurable objectives: Our goal is to increase the capacity for educators, emergency responders, those supporting military families, and other community and service providers to identify trauma and MH needs in youth and to link youth to needed services. Our primary objectives are to: 1) Training: We will provide 30 in-person trainings (4-8 annually), spread across 6 counties and two cohorts. We aim for 30 participants per training, totaling 900 trainees (~120-240 annually); 2) Consultation: We will provide 720 hours of ongoing consultation (~90-180 hours annually) through county-based youth MH experts; 3) Resource Dissemination: We will disseminate at least 5 different MH resources, including county-specific referral documents, to 900 trainees (~120-240 people annually); and 4) Referrals: We will increase the number of referrals to the partnering MH agencies in each respective county by 30% within each of the two cohorts.
