Diaspora Community Services Inc

SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION IN BROOKLYN

PREVENTION NAVIGATION FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH IN BROOKLYN

RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM

SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV/AIDS PREVENTION PROJECT TARGETING LGBT YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV/AIDS PREVENTION PROJECT TARGETING LGBT YOUTH AND YOUNG ADUL

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING AMONG SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN BROOKLYN - SUMMARY. DIASPORA COMMUNITY SERVICES (DCS) IS PROPOSING A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATORS, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF; THE TRAINING WILL BENEFIT SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH WITH TRAUMA, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, EATING DISORDERS, ADHD AND LIVING IN POVERTY, INCLUDING YOUTH OF COLOR AND LGBTQ YOUTH. DCS WILL SERVE 500 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS IN YEAR ONE AND 3,650 OVER THE PROJECT. PROJECT NAME. BROOKLYN MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAM POPULATIONS TO BE SERVED. DCS’ POPULATION OF FOCUS (POF) WILL BE SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH (5TH TO 12TH GRADE) WITH TRAUMA, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, EATING DISORDERS, ADHD AND LIVING IN POVERTY, INCLUDING YOUTH OF COLOR AND LGBTQ YOUTH. THE CATCHMENT AREA WHERE TRAINING AND SERVICES WILL BE DELIVERED WILL BE NYC, WITH A FOCUS ON BROOKLYN AND QUEENS. STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS. DCS’ PROGRAM ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: 1) IMPLEMENT IN-PERSON EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING; 2) IDENTIFY THE INTENDED INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING; 3) IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS AND DEVELOP WRITTEN AND ELECTRONIC MATERIALS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS BEING TRAINED; 4) ESTABLISH REFERRAL MECHANISMS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES; 5) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PLAN; 6) DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE THE COORDINATION OF SERVICES TO THE POF; 7) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MARKETING AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS; AND 8) IMPLEMENT MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA) AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (YMHFA) EBPS. PROJECT GOALS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES. THE PROGRAM’S GOALS ARE 1) TRAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND JUVENILE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, INCLUDING EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL DISORDERS, TO IDENTIFY PERSONS WITH A MENTAL DISORDER AND EMPLOY CRISIS DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES, 2) ESTABLISH LINKAGES WITH COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO REFER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES, AND 3) EDUCATE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A MENTAL DISORDER. THE PROGRAM’S OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: IDENTIFY AT LEAST 25 SCHOOLS IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING; CONDUCT EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING, INCLUDING MHFA AND YMHA, TO 500 INDIVIDUALS IN YEAR 1, 615 IN YEAR 2, 730 IN YEAR 3, 845 IN YEAR 4, AND 960 IN YEAR 5; OFFER TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR AT LEAST 50 SCHOOLS IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING; IDENTIFY A NETWORK OF AT LEAST 10 COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES THAT WILL SERVE AS REFERRAL AGENCIES; PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL ON BEST PRACTICES FOR REFERRALS: 500 INDIVIDUALS IN YEAR 1, 615 IN YEAR 2, 730 IN YEAR 3, 845 IN YEAR 4, AND 960 IN YEAR 5; CONDUCT FOLLOW UP WITH TRAINED SCHOOL PERSONNEL TO MONITOR AND TRACK THE NUMBER OF REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS; CREATE AND DISSEMINATE A MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES GUIDE TO AT LEAST 600 TRAINING PARTICIPANTS PER YEAR; AND PROVIDE 12 WEBINARS WITH YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER EXPERTS PER YEAR, REACHING AT LEAST 200 SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS PER WEBINAR.

THE SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM (SAS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM) WAS CREATED BY THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 (VAWA 2005), 34 U.S.C. § 12511(C), AND IS PART OF THE FIRST FEDERAL FUNDING STREAM SOLELY DEDICATED TO THE PROVISION OF DIRECT INTERVENTION AND RELATED ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. INTERVENTION AND RELATED ASSISTANCE INCLUDE ADVOCACY, ACCOMPANIMENT (E.G., ACCOMPANYING VICTIMS TO COURT, MEDICAL FACILITIES, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, ETC.), CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES, AND REFERRALS, AMONG OTHER SERVICES. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, SUCH SERVICES MAY BE PROVIDED TO ADULT, YOUTH, AND CHILD VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF SUCH VICTIMS, AND THOSE COLLATERALLY AFFECTED BY THE VICTIMIZATION.    SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FROM CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES FREQUENTLY CONFRONT UNIQUE CHALLENGES WHEN SEEKING ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND THESE CHALLENGES BECAUSE THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND BACKGROUND OF VICTIMS FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES, WHO IN TURN ARE MORE INCLINED TO SEEK SERVICES FROM SUCH ORGANIZATIONS. THE GOAL OF THE SAS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM IS TO CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND EXPAND SUSTAINABLE SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROVIDED BY CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE RELEVANT FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. GRANTEES MUST EITHER DEMONSTRATE EXPERTISE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT OR PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SUCH EXPERTISE. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC IS STATUTORILY DEFINED AS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: 1) AMERICAN INDIANS (INCLUDING ALASKA NATIVES, ESKIMOS, AND ALEUTS); 2) ASIAN AMERICANS; 3) NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS; 4) BLACKS; AND 5) HISPANICS. SEE 34 U.S.C. §§ 12511(C)(2), 12291(A)(6), AND 42 U.S.C. § 300U-6(G)(1).

SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROGRAM