Added: Jun 30, 2008 1:32 pm
The Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA),
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), through the Program Support Center, Division of Acquisitions Managements, intends to award a sole source contract using simplified acquisition procedures to Eduardo Morales, Ph.D., Professor, Alliant International University and Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, 3129 Mission Street, #1, San Francisco, CA 94110.
The Youth Scholar and Workforce Development Initiative will address the problem regarding the low Hispanic behavioral health and addiction treatment workforce in the U.S. Its purpose is threefold: (1) to work with Hispanic high school students and offer them the opportunity to be exposed to information and mentors in the addiction and behavioral health fields to encourage them to become mental health and addiction treatment practitioners; (2) to develop a support system for Latinos through high school and college years to help them complete and secure degrees and subsequently enter into the addiction and behavioral health workforce; and (3) to increase the knowledge in the addiction and mental health fields on strategies and methodologies to treat Hispanic clients who have addiction and mental health problems.
The Contractor is responsible for but not limted to the following Tasks:
Target at least two Hispanic public health conferences (including the Latino Behavioral Health Institute Conference [LBHI]) with high levels of attendance by Hispanic behavioral health and addiction treatment workers and develop a youth scholar initiative at those conferences. Use the LBHI model and expand the outreach initiative to reach at least four predominantly Hispanic high schools.
Enlist the participation of at least 100 Hispanic high school students through cooperation with their respective high schools and facilitate attendance to one of the conferences. Ensure youth participation at the youth scholar initiative as well as other public health, addiction treatment, and mental health workshops.
Match students with mentors who will maintain contact with them throughout the academic year. Identify, train, and monitor Hispanic youth mentors. Match mentors with at least 25 students using a one-to-one ratio.
Monitor the progress of the youth programs by observing their entry into behavioral health careers. Follow up with contacts to monitor progress and ensure youth stay connected to mentors and other support systems available to them.
Create a youth section in the already existing National Latino Addiction Community Network (NLATCN) webpage and develop links from Myspace website for other youth to access the NLATCN website. Number of hits to the website will be tracked and feedback from website visitors will be solicited.
Conduct workshops and/or presentations on issues related to Hispanic behavioral health and addiction in at least two mainstream major behavioral health and addiction treatment conferences:
Conduct literature searches to identify curricular courses in behavioral health at high school and college levels, related to the need to better serve predominantly Hispanic communities and on methodologies and approaches that best serve the community.
Design power point presentations on various aspects of health among Hispanics. Draw upon existing information on the web to generate the presentations for classes. Develop bibliographies associated with each topic, such as (1) health factors among immigrants;
(2) substance abuse among Hispanics; (3) Hispanics culture and treatment; (4) Hispanic youth; (5) Hispanic demographics in the U.S. and population trends; and (6) HIV/STD and Hispanics.
