MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN DELAWARE INC

2023 WAS A YEAR OF GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION IN DELAWARE. MHA BEGAN A NEW PEER SUPPORT TRAINING PROGRAM THAT GIVES CERTIFIED SKILLSETS TO THOSE WHO MAY HAVE STRUGGLED INTEGRATING BACK INTO SOCIETY. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM AND BOLSTER THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE, WE BEGAN WORK TO DEVELOP A CAREER PATH FOR JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS IN DELAWARE. WE PROVIDED PEER CERTIFICATION WITHIN THREE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN DELAWARE TO 43 INMATES. THESE PARTICIPANTS CAN WORK AS PEER SPECIALISTS WHILE INSIDE THE FACILITIES, TAKE THEIR NATIONAL EXAMINATION, AND BECOME CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS. WHEN RELEASED, THIS GIVES THEM A CAREER PATH IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALLOWS THEM TO HELP OTHERS TO REMAIN ENGAGED WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORTS AND MOVE FORWARD IN RECOVERY. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR PROGRESS SO FAR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE INDIVIDUALS GROW IN THEIR RECOVERY AND CAREER JOURNEYS.WE MAINTAINED OUR PEER CERTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT 2023 AS WELL, IN BOTH AN ONLINE PLATFORM AND IN-PERSON, MAKING IT EVEN MORE ACCESSIBLE AND APPEALING TO INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE STATE WITH VARIED SCHEDULES AND NEEDS. WE HAVE ADDED NEW CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT OFFERINGS TO HELP DELAWARE'S PEER WORKFORCE MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION AND TO HAVE THE MOST CURRENT AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT PEER PROGRAM, WHERE OUR DEDICATED PEER SPECIALISTS OFFER A LIVING EXAMPLE OF HOPE TO THOSE WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND/OR ADDICTION WHICH SOMETIMES LEADS TO COURT INVOLVEMENT. OUR PEERS HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND ASSISTANCE WITH ACCESSING FOOD, CLOTHING, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION, IN ADDITION TO THE MENTORSHIP THAT IS MOST CRITICAL.IN 2023, WE ONCE AGAIN HELD A CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON THE MILITARY COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS ONE FOCUSED ON STUDENTS AND STAFF IN HIGHER EDUCATION. WE ALSO PROVIDED TWO EMPOWERING COMMUNITY WELLNESS SYMPOSIUMS: AN IN-PERSON SYMPOSIUM IN THE SPRING AND A VIRTUAL ONE IN THE FALL. WE ALSO ADDED A STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP TO OUR OFFERINGS, WHICH TEACHES PARTICIPANTS HOW TO BRING THEIR BODIES BACK TO A PARASYMPATHETIC STATE OF RELAXATION, LESSENING THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS.WITH RISING RATES OF SUICIDE, IT WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO CONTINUE TO PLACE STRONG EMPHASIS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION. WE PROVIDED A VARIETY OF TRAININGS TO HELP DELAWAREANS RECOGNIZE THE WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE, AND CONNECT THOSE IN NEED WITH THE APPROPRIATE HELP. THESE INCLUDED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AND QUESTION, PERSUADE, REFER (QPR) AS WELL AS AN IN-PERSON TWO-DAY APPLIED SUICIDE INTERVENTION SKILLS TRAINING (ASIST). MHA CONTINUED TO CHAIR THE DELAWARE SUICIDE PREVENTION COALITION, A GATHERING OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES FOCUSED ON SUICIDE PREVENTION IN DELAWARE TO INCLUDE MILITARY COMMUNITIES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, AND AMONG COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS REMAIN AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO, AS WE STRIVE TO INFLUENCE POLICY TOWARDS AN IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM FOR DELAWARE, AND OF THE NATION. FINALLY, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO COORDINATE MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY, IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL THROUGH SCREENING SOFTWARE THAT CAN BE EASILY FOUND ON OUR HOMEPAGE. IT CAN SCREEN FOR DEPRESSION AND A VARIETY OF COMMON MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS.SOME NUMERICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2023 INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: PROVIDED SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING TO 3155 DELAWAREANS; GAVE OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATIONS TO 1037 DELAWAREANS; AND REACHED OVER 8000 DELAWAREANS WITH AWARENESS RESOURCES THROUGH HEALTH FAIRS AND TABLING EVENTS. DURING THE YEAR, 327 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION OR AN ANXIETY DISORDER, OR LOSS OF A LOVED ONE TO SUICIDE, ATTENDED ONE OF OUR SUPPORT GROUPS, EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON. IN 2023, WE FACILITATED 16 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS, 53 LIFELINES PRESENTATIONS (ADULTS AND YOUTH), 10 TWO-DAY APPLIED SUICIDE INTERVENTION SKILLS TRAINING (ASIST), AND 19 QUESTION, PERSUADE, REFER TRAININGS. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MILITARY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE DELAWARE SUICIDE PREVENTION COALITION, WE PROVIDED QUARTERLY WEBINARS INCLUDING SUICIDE PREVENTION TOOLS AND RESOURCES TARGETING PROVIDERS, SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND A CONFERENCE SERVING OVER 150 PEOPLE. COORDINATED NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY, WITH 13 DIFFERENT SCREENINGS FOR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS INCLUDING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND ADDICTION. 131 PEOPLE WERE SCREENED IN PERSON AND PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO OBTAIN TREATMENT. PROVIDED PEER-FOCUSED TRAINING TO OVER 250 PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, THROUGH PROGRAMS INCLUDING THE 50-HOUR DELAWARE PEER CERTIFICATION TRAINING COURSE AS WELL AS CONTINUING EDUCATION OFFERINGS AND AN ANNUAL SUMMIT. IN 2023, THE 6TH ANNUAL UMATTER2DE HIGHER EDUCATION SUICIDE PREVENTION CONFERENCE WAS HELD, WITH OVER 100 PARTICIPANTS. IN COLLABORATION WITH A COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL, OUR EMPOWERING COMMUNITY WELLNESS SYMPOSIUM WAS HELD IN MAY TO CELEBRATE MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH, PROVIDING EDUCATION TO 140 PARTICIPANTS. PROVIDED OVER 1000 SERVICES EACH MONTH TO CLIENTS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COURT, INCLUDING MENTORSHIP; TRANSPORTATION TO PROBATION, TREATMENT AND MORE; AND ASSISTANCE WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING.