Population Served: The targeted rural service area includes Appling, Bacon, and Clinch counties in southeast Georgia, rural underserved communities with a disproportionate burden of risk factors. Ultimately, Healthy Mind, Body & Spirit efforts will reduce risk factors and increase protective factors in the three-county region. While efforts will have a universal impact, specific populations will benefit from certain services, such as prevention programming for middle and high school students, outreach and education for migrant farm workers, and enhanced transition services for individuals reentering the community population following incarceration for substance abuse. Providers (first responders, healthcare providers) will also benefit with increased access to trainings and coordination.
Services Provided: Annually, at least 2,000 adolescents will benefit from wellness and prevention presentations at Appling, Bacon, and Clinch middle and high schools, delivered by a Registered Nurse serving as the Community Wellness and Outreach Education Navigator. Annually, at least 200 adolescents demonstrating greatest risk (identified through school counselors) will benefit from at least 10 hours of small group prevention programming, including decision making, peer resistance, coping with stress, problem solving, interpersonal communication, and judgmental capabilities, delivered by a Registered Nurse serving as the Community Wellness and Outreach Education Navigator. Annually, Peer Educators will attend at least 12 community events and visit at least six locations where migrant workers are employed, reaching at least 4,000 individuals, disseminating prevention and awareness information, and providing comprehensive referral information for available community-based prevention, intervention, and recovery supports. Annually, SHC’s At-Risk Care Coordinator will lead at least 36 networking activities or technical assistance opportunities in targeted counties, to include (but not be limited to) Mental Health First Aid training (youth and adult), Naloxone training, First Responder Mental Health Training, law enforcement coordination meetings, multi-sector stakeholder trainings and coordination sessions. By Month 12, SHC’s At-Risk Care Coordinator will establish written policies with law enforcement in all targeted counties to facilitate reentry from short-term and long-term incarceration for both juveniles and adults. Beyond Year One, these policies will connect at least 30 individuals for reentry coordination and support annually. A Services Directory will be created, listing providers, contact information, hours of operation, and a summary of services, useful for dissemination among service providers (for referrals) as well as the community to identify areas of duplication and overlap, to ensure appropriate distribution and allocation of resources, skills, and efforts. The Transportation Coordinator will provide transportation to and from community appointments as necessary, a critical wraparound service.
State/Local Coordination: The Project Director will identify points of contact with the FY 2024 SPF-PFS State recipients. If Georgia is an awardee, weekly communication will begin to ensure coordination of efforts, address gaps in prevention through coordination, improve networking relationships, and promote partnerships within and across communities in Georgia. Formal monthly outreach and communication with consortium members in Appling, Bacon, and Clinch counties (and SPF-PFS State award recipients if applicable) will be enhanced with quarterly Consortium meetings. Meetings will build a new community structure to provide input, oversee, and sustain prevention initiatives through strategic coordination and partnership, strengthening and informing planning efforts at the community level. Mind, Body & Soul partners include: Sheriff’s Departments of Appling, Bacon, and Clinch counties, and Bacon County Hospital.