Specifications include, but are not limited to: The awardee shall provide community defined, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate outreach strategies, engagement activities, and support services to Afghan Community members living in Sacramento County. The proposed activities and support services must include activities which promote suicide prevention and improve timely access to behavioral health services, including but not limited to: 1. Utilizing effective, culturally responsive communication methods within the Afghan Community. For the Afghan Community this includes capacity to communicate in both Dari and Pashto languages. 2. Increasing participant and family knowledge of behavioral health services and available community resources for children, youth, TAY, adults, older adults and family members and/or natural supports. 3. Providing cultural brokerage to Afghan Community members to reduce stigma and discrimination due to mental illness or psychological distress and encourage participants to seek help. 4. Providing support and timely linkage to behavioral health services by addressing barriers to care. 5. Providing culturally responsive encouragement to support participants in their health and wellness, which includes supporting access to resources, learning how to seek support, maintaining positive personal/social supports, and improving communications with family members and others in the community. Request for LOI No. MHSA/083 Page 5 of 8 6. Implementing a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, tailored to the Afghan Community with linkage to Behavioral Health Services and follow up support to ensure participants are accessing services. 7. Following up to confirm behavioral health services appointments. 8. Conducting a quarterly test call to support the County’s Quality Management Team in evaluating timely access to services for the Afghan Community. 9. Promoting culturally relevant suicide prevention awareness and support that lead to the following outcomes: a. Improvement of self-reported life satisfaction and well-being, b. Enhancement of protective factors for those at risk of suicide, c. Diversion from crisis services or decreased need for crisis services, d. Decrease of suicide risk, social isolation and depression, e. Enhancement of social connectedness and community engagement, f. Increased knowledge of available resources and support and, g. Refer and link to other resources, if needed.
