Mercy Family Center

PROJECT FLEUR DE LIS

REDUCING PTSD SYMPTOMS AND MALADAPTIVE GRIEF REACTIONS IN YOUTH IMPACTED BY COMMUNITY VIOLENCE IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA - PROJECT FLEUR-DE-LIS (PFDL), A PROGRAM OF MERCY FAMILY CENTER, BEGAN AS AN INTERMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE MODEL FOR YOUTH EXPOSED TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA. PFDL HAS EVOLVED TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT TO YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, GRIEF, COMPLEX TRAUMA, AND SUICIDE TO ENHANCE PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. PFDL’S POPULATION OF FOCUS IS LOW-INCOME, URBAN, BLACK YOUTH AGES 5-21 WHO ARE UNDERSERVED IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS (GNO) AREA (ORLEANS, JEFFERSON, ST. TAMMANY, ST. BERNARD, AND PLAQUEMINES PARISHES (COUNTIES)) WHO HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, COMPLEX TRAUMA, SUICIDE, AND GRIEF. PROJECT FLEUR-DE-LIS (PFDL) PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: GOAL 1: INCREASE ACCESS FOR TRAUMA-EXPOSED, CULTURALLY DIVERSE YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED TRAUMA TREATMENT. OBJECTIVE 1A: BY THE END OF THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT, PFDL AND PARTNERING SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WILL PROVIDE CBITS, BOUNCE BACK, AND SPARCS TO A MINIMUM OF 375 YOUTH AND FAMILIES. OBJECTIVE 1B: UPON COMPLETION OF TREATMENT, YOUTH WILL REPORT A 30% DECREASE IN PTSD SYMPTOMS AS MEASURED BY THE CHILD PTSD SYMPTOM SCALE (CPSS). GOAL 2: INCREASE ACCESS FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED BEREAVEMENT AND TRAUMATIC BEREAVEMENT TREATMENT. OBJECTIVE 2A: BY THE END OF THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT, PFDL AND PARTNERING SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WILL PROVIDE TGCT AND MGT TO A MINIMUM OF 200 YOUTH AND FAMILIES. OBJECTIVE 2B: YOUTH WILL REPORT A 30% DECREASE IN MALADAPTIVE GRIEF REACTIONS ON THE PERSISTENT COMPLEX BEREAVEMENT DISORDER (PCBD) CHECKLIST UPON COMPLETION OF TREATMENT. GOAL 3: ESTABLISH A TRAUMA-, BEREAVEMENT-, AND SUICIDE-INFORMED COMMUNITY FOR YOUTH BY BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND YOUTH WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN PFDL’S GEOGRAPHICAL CATCHMENT AREA. OBJECTIVE 3A: AFTER THE FIVE-YEAR GRANT CYCLE, PFDL, PARTNERING SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WILL HAVE USED SAFETY-ACUTE WITH A MINIMUM OF 250 YOUTH AT RISK OF SUICIDE AND REPORT A 25% INCREASE IN COLLABORATIVE SAFETY PLANS WITH YOUTH AND FAMILIES. OBJECTIVE 3B: A MINIMUM OF 250 YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS, SCHOOL STAFF, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL DEMONSTRATE AN INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AS EVIDENCED BY THE CCCT EVALUATION MEASURE. OBJECTIVE 3C: PFDL WILL PROVIDE EDUCATION ON BEREAVEMENT-INFORMED CARE AND SUICIDE PREVENTION TO A MINIMUM OF 500 YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS AND SCHOOL STAFF. OBJECTIVE 3D: A MINIMUM OF 100 YOUTH WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WILL PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY-BUILDING CIRCLES TO INCREASE FEELINGS OF BELONGING, TO REDUCE STIGMA, AND TO ASSIST PFDL WITH INCORPORATING THEIR VOICES INTO OUR TRAININGS AND PROGRAMMING. PFDL WILL SERVE 450 INDIVIDUALS IN YEAR 1, 500 IN YEAR 2, 550 IN YEAR 3, 600 IN YEAR 4, AND 650 IN YEAR 5, SERVING A TOTAL OF 2,750 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE FIVE-YEAR GRANT PERIOD.

PROJECT FLEUR-DE-LIS

ENHANCING PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES IN PRIMARY CARE FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA - MERCY FAMILY CENTER (MFC) IS EXPANDING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA BY INTEGRATING PSYCHIATRIC CARE INTO PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS FOR TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. THE PROJECT'S OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY IDENTIFYING AND TREATING MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN COLLABORATION WITH REGIONAL FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHCS). MFC WILL ACHIEVE THIS BY SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER INTERVENTIONS AND PROGRAMMING IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS THROUGH TRAINING, CONSULTATION, AND INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY READILY ACCESSIBLE VIRTUAL PSYCHIATRIC CARE FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA. THE GOALS OF THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT ARE TO: 1) INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE, CONFIDENCE, AND SATISFACTION OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS, AND NURSES IN PROVIDING PSYCHIATRIC CARE USING THIS PROJECT'S COLLABORATIVE CARE MODEL, 2) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING PSYCHIATRIC CARE, 3) DEMONSTRATE IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH FUNCTIONING FOR PATIENTS REFERRED FOR PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION 4) IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING AMONG PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS ON CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH TOPICS, AND 5) PATIENTS RECEIVING PSYCHIATRIC CARE FROM MFC WILL EXPRESS HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THEIR TREATMENT AND COLLABORATIVE CARE WITH AVERAGED SATISFACTION SCORES ABOVE '4’ (LIKERT SCALE OF 1 - 5). MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: GOAL #1 (A) BY DECEMBER 31, 2025, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS RECEIVING CONSULTATION FROM PSYCHIATRISTS WILL DEVELOP TREATMENT PLANS FOR PATIENTS WITH A SPECIFIC PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS, INCLUDING MEDICATION SELECTION, DOSAGE, AND POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS. (B) BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2025, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS RECEIVING CONSULTATION FROM MFC PSYCHIATRISTS WILL DEMONSTRATE A HIGH LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THIS PROJECT AND THE COLLABORATIVE CARE MODEL. GOAL #2 (A) BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2025, THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REFERRED PATIENTS RECEIVING BRIEF MFC PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION/CARE WILL EXCEED 100. GOAL #3 (A) DEMONSTRATE BY SEPTEMBER 29, 2025, AVERAGE OVERALL IMPROVEMENT SCORES IN PRE-POST MEASURES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY FOR PATIENTS UNDER DIRECT PSYCHIATRIC CARE AS MEASURED BY THE PHQ-9 AND GAD-7. GOAL #4 (A) THROUGHOUT THE ONE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS WILL SCORE 80% OR HIGHER ON A MULTIPLE-CHOICE ASSESSMENT IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL AREA. GOAL #5 (A) PATIENTS WHO RECEIVE PSYCHIATRIC CARE WILL EXPRESS HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THEIR CARE AND THE COLLABORATIVE MODEL, WITH OVERALL AVERAGED SATISFACTION SCORES ABOVE ‘4’ (LIKERT SCALE OF 1 – 5). THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS TO BE SERVED FOR THE PROJECT IS PROJECTED TO BE 500. MFC WILL COLLABORATE WITH TWO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHCS) TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA, COVERING MULTIPLE PARISHES WITH SEVERE SHORTAGES OF PSYCHIATRISTS, AS INDICATED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (HPSA) SCORES. ACCORDING TO THE LOUISIANA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 2022 REPORT CARD, PUBLIC HEALTH REGION 4 IN SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA HAS THE STATE'S SECOND-HIGHEST DEPRESSION RATE AT 27.1%. ORLEANS PARISH HAS THE 5TH HIGHEST HOMICIDE RATE IN THE U.S. AT 47.0 PER 100,000, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. LOUISIANA'S HOMICIDE RATE (18.8 PER 100,000) IS THE 3RD HIGHEST IN THE NATION. THIS PROJECT, FUNDED BY SAMHSA, AIMS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AND REDUCE VIOLENCE AND SUICIDE RATES IN THE REGION.

PROJECT FLEUR-DE-LIS