Mental Health Literacy

1.1     CDD Mission

The mission of the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is to enhance the lives of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families through programs that promote self-advocacy, participation, and inclusion in all facets of community life.

1.2     Purpose and Funding Availability

CDD is seeking proposals to develop a web-based mental health literacy online curriculum, and associated print guide, to build capacity among practitioners, family members, and people with IDD who have co-occurring mental health challenges. The available funding for this opportunity is up to $200,000 per year for up to 2 years.

1.3     Term of Contract

The contract awarded in response to this RFP will be for X years with an anticipated start date of Oct 1, 2025 and an end date of Sept 30, 2027.

1.4     Project Background

Despite pockets of adept professionals that work with individuals with co-occurring developmental disabilities and mental health challenges, there is an ongoing need for capacity building to assist with delivering appropriate supports to people with dual diagnoses. A significant proportion of family members and caregivers, as well as clinicians, are ill-equipped to identify mental health symptoms and respond and assist during a mental health crisis for those with a developmental disability. [1]

Mental health literacy encapsulates the “knowledge and beliefs about mental diagnosis which aid in the recognition, management or prevention.”[2] When a person increases their knowledge about mental health, this will increase help-seeking behaviors as well as reduce mental health stigma. They will also be better able to support others who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.

Approach

The CDD is seeking one grantee to develop a multimodal resource (available both in print and online) to strengthen the response of professionals in the field, as well as family members, in responding to the mental health needs of people with developmental disabilities. This resource will be comprised of a guide and complimentary video animated/live action series discussing mental health and disabilities.

Content should include, but is not limited to, understanding mental health literacy, mental health within respective disability populations, mental health symptoms, substance abuse, effective self-help strategies for mild-to-moderate mental health challenges, navigating crises, resources, etc. This guide will be translated in various languages and readily accessible for people to build their own capacity through a self-paced series.  Any grant products and resources should also include links and avenues for referrals to local assistance and mental health providers.

The content should be targeted toward those with various disabilities and their family members, professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to increase their understanding about mental health, and to provide information about the mental health systems across NYS.

1.5     Expected Key Deliverables

Key Deliverables:

• An advisory committee comprised of experts to guide the development, content, implementation, and evaluation of the dual diagnosis mental health literacy curriculum.
• A fully accessible online guide (available in multiple languages) with a complimentary animated/live action video series which reaches multiple stakeholders including those with various disabilities and their family members, professionals, policymakers, and community leaders.
• There should be content focusing on, but not limited to providing general information on dual diagnosis, explanations of various mental health conditions and how they may present in the disability population, mental health and substance abuse within the disability population,  mental health triggers, strategies to promote mental health wellness for mild-to-moderate mental health challenges, navigating crises, resources, and tips for accessing formal mental health systems in NYS.
• There should be an accompanying training for users on how to most effectively utilize the resource, available in multiple languages including plain language.
•  A complementary accessible print guide that is available in multiple languages and can be shared as a physical resource, including plain language.
• An evaluation of the resource and its impacts on the DD field and cross-systems stakeholders.
• A sustainability plan for how the web-based resource, and print guide, will be maintained and updated beyond the term of the grant.

1.6     Desired Project Outcomes

The intended outcomes of this grant opportunity include:

• People with disabilities, family members, and practitioners will increase their knowledge about possible signs and symptoms of mental health challenges.

•  People with disabilities will have increased confidence in communicating with providers around issues related to mental health.

• People with disabilities will face reduced stigma for having mental health challenges.

• People with a dual diagnosis will have an increased ability to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain good mental health and self-care.

• People with disabilities, family members, and practitioners will have increased mental health literacy skills, and learn about available community resources.

[1] Hurley, D., Ferguson, H. L., Swann, C., & Allen, M. S. (2020, January). A Systematic Review of Parent and Caregiver Mental Health Literacy. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352409265_Black_American_and_Latinx_ParentCaregiver_Participation_in_Digital_Health_Obesity_Interventions_for_Children_A_Systematic_Review.

[2] Jorm et al., 1997 p. 182.