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LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

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Hospitals has developed and continues to revise rules and regulations for certifying juvenile<br />

competency restoration providers, and has developed and recently revised a training module<br />

patterned after national best practices. Sixty-eight licensed mental health professionals were trained<br />

and certified as competency providers in 2009-2010. An additional sixteen unlicensed mental health<br />

professionals were trained to work with youth who are incompetent due to lack of education rather<br />

than behavioral health issues. The state continues to closely study issues relating to juvenile<br />

competency and to review programs in other states. The Office of Behavioral <strong>Health</strong> received a<br />

$40,000 grant in June 2010 to implement a pilot program in Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines,<br />

Jefferson and Caddo parishes for youth found incompetent to stand trial who are in need of a more<br />

restrictive environment, but do not meet the criteria for hospitalization. The pilot program will<br />

provide therapeutic foster homes (mentor homes) for a limited number of youth who are found<br />

incompetent to stand trial and need intensive supervision, as well as wrap-around services, including<br />

but not limited to individual, group and family therapy. In addition, the state‟s Law Institute<br />

Subcommittee on the Children‟s Code continues to meet in order to study the same issues while<br />

developing additional legislation regarding training as well as the protection of children‟s rights.<br />

Additionally, the Office of Behavioral <strong>Health</strong> in collaboration with the Metropolitan Human <strong>Services</strong><br />

District and the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court are in the process of developing a Court Clinic which<br />

will screen, evaluate and provide treatment or refer for additional services youth who are charged<br />

with crimes and housed at the Youth Study Center, the local detention center in New Orleans. This<br />

will ensure that judicially involved youth in need of mental health or substance abuse services will be<br />

identified quickly and referred for appropriate services.<br />

Louisiana Youth Suicide Prevention<br />

The Louisiana Partnership for Youth Suicide Prevention (LPYSP) is a program that is geared towards<br />

reducing child and adolescent suicide; however, adults have benefitted from the program also. In<br />

2006, Louisiana was awarded funds under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act from the Substance<br />

Abuse and <strong>Mental</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Service Administration (SAMHSA) to implement statewide youth suicide<br />

intervention and prevention strategies. Applied Suicide Intervention Specialist Training (ASIST), is<br />

one of several trainings which were initiated by this funding initiative. ASIST is a unique program<br />

that teaches a concise, face-to-face suicide intervention model that focuses on the reduction of the<br />

immediate risk of suicide. Participants in the training learn about their own attitudes concerning<br />

suicide, how to recognize and assess the risk of suicide, how to use an effective suicide intervention<br />

model, and about available community resources. ASIST is a model of suicide intervention for all<br />

gatekeepers and caregivers utilizing techniques and procedures that anyone can learn. The training is<br />

designed to increase skill levels, improve the ability to detect problems, and provide meaningful<br />

support to individuals experiencing emotional distress and serious mental health problems. The<br />

workshops are offered to educators, law enforcement, mental health professionals, clergy, medical<br />

professionals, administrators, volunteers, and anyone else who might be interested in adding suicide<br />

intervention to their list of skills. The program has been made available to all government agencies,<br />

consumer/advocacy agencies, emergency service providers, schools and families to help reduce the<br />

incidence of suicide in Louisiana. A 20-member training group has conducted ASIST, Safe Talk, and<br />

Suicide Talk Trainings statewide. This series of evidenced-based trainings has reached over 2,500<br />

people. Through the successful development of five suicide prevention coalitions in Shreveport,<br />

Lake Charles, Lafayette, Jefferson and Baton Rouge, the Partnership assisted communities to develop<br />

competence related to suicide risk identification and prevention activities; improved local<br />

collaboration; and promoted the coordination of culturally appropriate resources and services for the<br />

prevention of suicide.<br />

PART C <strong>LOUISIANA</strong> FY 2011 PAGE 90<br />

SECTION II: ADULT & CHILD/ YOUTH<br />

IDENTIFICATION & ANALYSIS OF SERVICE SYSTEM’S STRENGTHS, NEEDS, & PRIORITIES<br />

RECENT SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

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