NEDHSA’s Rise Above Stigma Project Creates Funding Opportunity for Community, Faith-Based Organizations

MONROE, La. (PRWEB)
September 01, 2021

Northeast Delta Human Services Authority announces a formal Request for Application (RFA) for a funding opportunity for up to 36 community and faith-based organizations within Northeast Louisiana (Jackson, Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union, and West Carroll parishes) interested in reducing hesitancies that prevent parish members from accessing behavioral health treatment services with funding available up to $5,000.

This funding opportunity is part of NEDHSA’s Rise Above Stigma Project, with SheRay’s & Associate’s support. This RFA aims to create a funded opportunity for providers to engage in a collaborative process to address stigmas and receive technical assistance to build community capacity to develop stigma reduction plans within a community setting. This is a unique opportunity for grantees to receive funds to engage in professional development; therefore, grantees must participate fully in every aspect of the opportunity.

NEDHSA Executive Director Dr. Monteic A. Sizer said the Rise Above Stigma project “engages grassroots community-based organizations, area churches, businesses, and health and human services stakeholders within the twelve parishes we serve.”

“The health stigma reduction effort aims to help increase access to mental health and addiction treatment, provide evidence-based prevention and environmental wellness strategies, and help vulnerable communities successfully learn to navigate often complex behavioral and primary healthcare systems,” Dr. Sizer said. “This will be done using educationally, culturally, disability-based, and linguistically appropriate tools and information.”

The Rise Above Stigma project will use an evidence-based model called Break the Stigma, Ask for Help, Make the Call, Behavior Health (B.A.M.M.BH) as an environmental strategy. This community-based strategy will allow NEDHSA to gather valuable community-level, real-time data while working with the community to develop cross-cutting population health solutions.

Dr. Sizer said the goal is “to transform the way health and human services are delivered in our region so that overall population health can significantly improve. And to improve population health, we must reduce negative social determinants of health.”

“The Rise Above Stigma project allows us to look more closely at population risk factors,” Dr. Sizer said. “We understand that there are many systemic barriers to health-seeking behaviors in rural communities. We also understand that these barriers are rooted in history, mistrust, inefficient delivery systems, pain, and broken promises.”

The Rise Above Stigma project is funded through a grant from the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health (LDH-OBH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Submissions for this application will only be accepted via email. All proposals must be electronically submitted in a PDF version to the following emails: kwyche@sherays.com and rpickett@sherays.com. No faxed, mailed, or hand-carried proposals will be accepted. Any supplemental documents to support this application (i.e., budget narrative, grant assurances) must be attached at the time of submission.

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