$20K in Funding to Enhance Training for Mobile Response Teams in Agency’s Service Area
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Behavioral healthcare nonprofit LSF Health Systems was awarded a $20,000 grant from Humana Healthy Horizons in Florida to help individuals in crisis situations.
The funding supports Mobile Response Teams (MRT), an on-demand crisis intervention service for children and adults in any setting in which a behavioral health crisis is occurring, including homes, schools, and emergency departments. Mobile response services are available 24/7 by a team of professionals and paraprofessionals, who are trained in crisis intervention skills to ensure timely access to support and services.
In addition to helping resolve the crisis, teams work with the individual and their families to identify and develop strategies for effectively addressing potential future crises. Access to services is a leading factor in getting treatment, making MRTs a tremendous resource for mental health and substance use crisis intervention. These services minimize unnecessary hospitalizations and arrests while providing immediate support to the individual.
The funding will enhance training provided to mobile response team members to include the following evidence-based practices:
- Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)- a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders.
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) – training on how to provide guidance and suicide first-aid to a person at risk in ways that meet their individual safety needs and to identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it.
- Verbal De-Escalation/Compassion Fatigue – provides attendees with verbal de-escalation and conflict resolution tactics and strategies to utilize with someone who is in crisis; teaches team members how to identify physical, behavioral, and psychological/emotional signs and symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Empathic Strain and helps them develop personalized coping strategies.
“Humana is committed to investing in organizations that have a direct impact on the local community,” said Natalia Aresu, Regional President of Humana’s Florida Medicaid business, Humana Healthy Horizons. “We are proud to support LSF Health Systems in improving mental health access and outcomes for Northeast Florida’s most underserved populations.”
The International Training Academy of Excellence, the educational arm of LSF Health Systems, will conduct the trainings. Organizations will be trained on the latest best practices in the areas of mental health, domestic abuse and substance use and misuse.
“We are extremely grateful for Humana’s generous grant and support to enable LSF Health Systems to provide evidence-based training to Mobile Response Team members in our region,” said Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO of LSF Health Systems. “Our strong partnership with Humana allows us to provide optimal care in the communities we serve.”
Humana Healthy Horizons in Florida offers a whole-person approach to delivering healthcare to Medicaid recipients in the state to improve the health and well-being of children and adults.
LSF Health Systems is one of seven behavioral health Managing Entities that manage the state-funded system of behavioral health care for people who face poverty and are without insurance. For more information, visit lsfhealthsystems.org.
