Michigan Rural Ems Network

Michigan Mental Health Awareness Training - the Michigan Mental Health Awareness Training Grant Proposed by the Michigan Rural Ems Network (mirems)will Provide Mental Health Awareness Training to Rural First Responder Personnel From Ems, Fire, and Police Departments, Who Are in Regular Contact With the General Public and Encounter Crisis Situations That Require De-escalation. Proposed Training Will Also Provide Information and Skills to Help First Responders Meet Their Own Mental Health Needs and That of Their Fellow Responders. a Recent Needs Assessment, Conducted by Mirems, Identified That Many First Responders Indicate Personal Experience With Critical Stress Related to Their Role, and Some Revealed Having Suicidal Thoughts. Training and Services Will Be Delivered to Providers in 57 Rural Michigan Counties With a Population of 1.8 Million. Data Shows That Socio-economic Status, Race, Ethnicity, Age, and Geography Are Major Sources of Disparity for Michigan’s Rural Residents. the Suicide Death Rate (2014-2018) for Rural Counties Averaged 20/100,000 Compared to the Overall Michigan Rate of 14. of the 55 Rural Counties, 73% Had Suicide Rates Higher Than the State Rate. to Prepare Rural First Responders for Encounters With Individuals Experiencing Mental Health Distress, Mirems Will Hire a Lead Instructor Coordinator, Certify Instructors Through Train the Trainer Courses for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, and Provide Training Opportunities to First Responders. Three Programs Will Be Utilized: (1) Michigan Department of Health and Human Services- Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Continuing Education; (2) Stress First Aid; and (3) Joint Training Programs That Bring Mental Health Professionals and First Responders Together for Shared Learning and Coordination of Services. Using a Phased in Approach, Programs Will Be Provided in Seven Regions for Four Cohorts. Programs Goals Include: - Goal A:increase the Number of First Responders Trained to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms for Serious Mental Illness (SMI) And/or Serious Emotional Disturbances (sed). Objective A.1: Complete a Mental Health Awareness Training Plan Within Six Months, and Build Training Capacity for Rural Michigan Counties Within Two Years, Focused on Curriculum and Evidence-based Practices; and A.2: During the Five-year Grant Period, Implement In-person Evidence-based Mental Health Awareness Training for 2930 Unduplicated, Rural First Responders - 75 in Year One, 338 in Year 2, 601 in Year 3, 864 in Year 4, and 1052 in Year 5. - Goal B: Improve Collaborative Relationships With Community Based Mental Health Agencies to Better Coordinate Services Between First Responders and Mental Health Services. Objective B.1: Within First Two Months of Regional Implementation, Develop Collaborative Partnerships With at Least Two Relevant Community Agencies and Programs Within Each Mirems Region to Improve Coordination of Mental Health Services; and B.2: in Year One, Develop Written and Electronic Mental Health Training Materials for Use by First Responders to Improve Response to the Population of Focus, Particularly Those With Smi And/or Sed.