The project aims to increase accessibility to syndemic-informed mental health services to youth ages 0-17 and their families (700 Year 1 and 900 Year 2). These efforts involve trauma-informed education to school personnel, parent partner support and outreach to at least 300 impacted families each year, and expanding telehealth access. Training and support to 122 clinicians, supervisors, managers, and administrators is included to address burnout and syndemic trauma also impacting providers. The demographics of youth and families in need in our catchment areas are as follows (average of 2 service planning areas): 8.65% ages 0-5; 17.35% ages 6-17; 54.3% Latinx; 16.6% White; 21.1% African American; 8.55% Asian; 0.55% Native Hawaiian/OPI; 0.15% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 25.45% of households with incomes <100% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL); 31.35% of incomes <300% of FPL that are food insecure; 60.1% of caregivers with a strong sense of community; and 5.95% of youth ages 3-17 that tried to access mental health care. Nationally, we know that rates of trauma, anxiety, and depression are increasing due to the pandemic. 2019 data reflected the following needs across California: 5.5% of mental health hospitalizations among children ages 5-19; a larger need by ethnicity with 33.4% of Hispanic/Latinx youth, 35.4% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander youth, 32.5% Multiracial youth, 29.3% Asian youth, 24.7% African American youth, and 28.1% White youth reported experiencing depression related symptoms and experiences pre-pandemic. Rates of depression by ethnicity in Los Angeles Unified and Paramount Unified School Districts, respectively were as follows: 24.8% and 20% African American, 34.1% and 50% Asian, 32.8% and 35.4% Hispanic/Latinx, 32.7% and 47.7% multiracial, and 31.1% and 30.8% White. Although school district data was not available for Long Beach or Lynwood, the 2019 Long Beach Community Health Assessment found that 19.5% of adults experienced domestic violence and 10.4% had serious psychological distress. In addition, the violent crime rate which contributes to trauma and depression was 614.3 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2018, the second highest in a decade. We have 9 key objectives, four of which involve increasing school-based referrals an average of 68.5% over two years. The other objectives involve training 122 staff in CE-CERT and Polyvagal Theory and Practice to help them manage compassion burnout and respond better to SED youth, providing parent peer support and conducting outreach events to stigmatized populations, and training school personnel on the neurosequential model of education to enhance trauma-informed reactions. We will increase telehealth capabilities by providing portable stations in our schools and clinics, offer a wide-range of evidence-based practices for SED in the office and community, and assess for trauma related to the syndemic.
