Washburn Center For Children

RESTORE, STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THE DELIVERY OF COVID-19 IMPACTED CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH SED IN THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST. REGION - AS A PLACE OF HOPE AND HEALING, WASHBURN CENTER FOR CHILDREN IS A LEADING INNOVATOR OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL METRO REGION. OUR MISSION IS TO NURTURE EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY'S WELL-BEING AND FULL POTENTIAL THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH CARE. WASHBURN CENTER IS PROPOSING A TWO-YEAR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS (CMHC) GRANT TO RESTORE, STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THE DELIVERY OF COVID-19 IMPACTED CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH SEVERE EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED) AND THEIR FAMILIES. THROUGH THIS FUNDING, 6,855 CHILDREN EXPERIENCING SED GAIN ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THE PROJECT EMPHASIZES REDUCING BARRIERS AND BUILDING COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, INCLUDING FAMILIES FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND/OR LIMITED ABILITY TO AFFORD MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ALIGN WITH THE AGENCY'S STRATEGIC OPERATING PLAN AND INCLUDE: 1) INCREASING BY 24% OUTPATIENT EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CARE THAT INCLUDES TRAUMA-INFORMED SCREENING, ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS AND PATIENT-CENTERED TREATMENT PLANNING FOR CHILDREN EXPERIENCING SED AND THEIR FAMILIES. 2) EXPANDING AND IMPROVING HIPAA COMPLIANT TELEHEALTH THERAPY INFRASTRUCTURE, SO 20% OF MENTAL HEALTH SESSIONS ARE DELIVERED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. 3) TRAINING 160 CLINICIANS IN EVIDENCE-BASED (EBP) AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES SO THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO A WIDE DIVERSITY OF CHILDREN EXPERIENCING SED AND SUPPORT DIVERSE CLIENT POPULATIONS, UNDERSTAND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND BUILD CULTURAL COMPETENCY. 4) STRENGTHENING TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AND LAUNCHING AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SO THAT 50% OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING CAN BE LIVE-STREAMED AND RECORDED TO INCREASE TRAINING OF RURAL MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AND ALLIED PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 5) REACHING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGIES AND REFERRAL PATHWAYS FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, SUCH AS FAMILIES IDENTIFYING AS BIPOC AND/OR RESIDING IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND/OR LIVING IN RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. AFTER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GRIEF, LOSS, AND TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND OUR COMMUNITY'S RACIAL RECKONING, YOUTH AND FAMILIES' EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IS INCREDIBLY FRAGILE. THERE'S A GROWING "TSUNAMI" OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THOSE CHALLENGES BY RESTORING, STRENGTHENING, AND EXPANDING CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES DELIVERY.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING AT WASHBURN CENTER FOR CHILDREN - AS A PLACE OF HOPE AND HEALING, WASHBURN CENTER FOR CHILDREN IS A LEADING INNOVATOR OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN MINNESOTA. WE PROPOSE ESTABLISHING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING (MHAT) IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL REGION. OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE NORTHSIDE ACHIEVEMENT ZONE, MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ROSEVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS INTENDS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL REGION ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, DE-ESCALATION OF CRISIS SITUATIONS AND APPROPRIATE AND SAFE RESPOND TO YOUTH EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. WITH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING THAT INCLUDES MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AND DEVELOPMENTAL REPAIR CURRICULA, MHAT WILL STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY PROTECTIVE FACTORS, OFFER EARLY INTERVENTION AND REDUCE RISKS FOR STUDENTS FACING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. THE INTENDED AUDIENCE FOR MHAT INCLUDES THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REGULAR CONTACT WITH CHILDREN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL, YOUTH WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, FOSTER PARENTS AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. TRAINING THESE KEY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT OF AUGMENTING AND EXPANDING THE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN 4,250 PEOPLE AND POTENTIALLY IMPACT 37,500 STUDENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL FIRST-RING SUBURB AND 990 FAMILIES LIVING IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO: 1) CONDUCT 50 MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND DE-ESCALATION TRAINING AT LOW OR NO COST FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL, YOUTH WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, FOSTER PARENTS, AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. 2) ENGAGE 4,250 SCHOOL PERSONNEL, YOUTH WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, FOSTER PARENTS, AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT. 3) RAISE AWARENESS, REDUCE STIGMA AND INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF TOOLS FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY EMOTIONAL WELLNESS THROUGH A COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. THE CAMPAIGN WILL ACCOMPLISH 75 ANNUAL COMMUNITY TOUCHPOINTS AND ACHIEVE 50,000 IMPRESSIONS OR ENGAGEMENTS IN DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA. MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES CAN HAVE PROFOUND, LIFE-LONG HEALTH CONSEQUENCES ON A CHILD'S EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. FORTUNATELY, EARLY INTERVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS BUILD VITAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN A COMMUNITY, SO EVERY CHILD RECEIVES NURTURING SUPPORT TO SUCCEED.