Sunday, May 5, 2024
5/5/2024
The Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (MHAASA) of Puerto Rico proposes a 55-year PR Youth Suicide Prevention Project (PR-YSP) to expand capacity of youth-serving systems (education, juvenile justice, and child welfare) to identify, appropriately intervene and refer a total of 675 at risk youth, 10-24 years, and offer Evidence Based (ASIST, CBT for adolescent suicidality and ROS) early mental health interventions in its San Juan clinic. The PR Forensic Science Institute reported 194 deaths by suicide in 01, 5 of adolescents. The PR Poison Control Center (Poison Help), in 2020 reflected 650 (16.5%) suicide attempts, 27.2% (52 male and 125 females) of adolescents. MHAASA's PAS Hotline shoed 1,335 calls in 2020, and 3026 in 2021, related to youth (10-17) with suicide thoughts/attempts. For the proposed project, children and youth of all genders or sexual orientations, any ethnic or racial group (majority expected to be Hispanic), who are referred by agencies or the community, with suicidal ideation or behavior, will be eligible. About 75 clients in YR 01 and 150 a year for YR's 02-05 for a total o 675 at project end are proposed to be served. Summarized goal and objectives include: G1. Increase youth-serving agencies/organizations able to identify, intervene and refer youth with suicide risk factors in a 5-year period: 1a. Develop collaborative agreements with the PR Departments of Education, Juvenile Justice, and Family Services, and the University of Puerto Rico, for training of staff on identification/referral of at risk youth; 1b. Develop ASIST-based workshops aimed to increase capacity of youth serving staff to identify youth at risk of suicide and connect them to care and support using guidelines of the Federal Suicide Prevention Resource Center; 1c. Integrate Training Facilitators to do Training of Trainers to increase capacity of MHAASA's Treatment Program staff to train collaborating agency staff on use of the Suicide Risk Detection Screening Tool; 1d. Train, over 5-yer grant, on ASIST, at least 500 direct service staff of collaborating systems and organizations of the San Juan and Bayamon Regions. G2. Implement a monitoring system to collect required data and monitor results of referrals to treatment for mental health services of youth at risk of suicide: 2a. Include in collaborative agreements required use of monitoring system on youth identified and results of referrals and connection to MH treatment of at risk youth; 2b. Adapt the Youth Suicide Prevention Referral and Tracking Toolkit for the monitoring system; 2c. Analyze and use results of the monitoring system to prevent suicide and reduce risks of future ideation and attempts; 2d. Identify gaps in MH services for youth with suicidal risks and develop a work plan to address them. G3. Provide specialized treatment for youth with suicidal ideation or attempts: 3a. Increase skills of clinical specialists in the use of EBP's for youth with suicidal ideation or attempts; 3b. Develop collaborative agreements with ER's and psychiatric inpatient units for referrals of suicidal youth; 3c. Offer specialized treatment by clinical specialized clinicians to at least 675 youth in 5 years; 3d. Create peer support groups in selected regions connect youth needing recovery services. G4. Provide post suicide interventions to family members and school staff of youth committing suicide: 4a. Establish a surveillance system to know, within 24 hours, when a youth commits suicide and contact information of family and school; 4b. Integrate PAS Hotline staff in post suicide interventions with family members and school staff needing crisis counseling; 4c. Adopt the After Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools as the basis for post-suicide interventions with families and school staff; 4d. Offer post-suicide support to families of 100% of youth who commit suicide in selected regions. A multidisciplinary team, with Peer, will provide services with in-kind MHAASA support.
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).
