Mental Health
CAI is committed to expanding access to mental health services. We achieve this by strengthening the ability of health care providers and other professionals to identify individuals in need of support, reduce stigma around behavioral health treatment, and enhance engagement in care.
Our efforts include improving access and treatment for people living with HIV and other chronic conditions, individuals with substance use disorders, and pregnant and postpartum women. All of our mental health initiatives recognize and address the impact of life challenges and adversity. We have developed a comprehensive training and capacity-building program designed to help providers create supportive environments and deliver effective services. This program—Establishing a Culture of Supportive Care and Offering Skills-Based Services—equips organizations with tools to understand, recognize, and respond to the effects of stress and difficult experiences.
CAI’s model is currently being implemented across Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs in New Jersey; through emergency medical services and community health workers in maternal and child health across New Jersey (funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); in Federally Qualified Health Centers, harm reduction centers, and health homes in New York City; and at the University of Alabama at Birmingham 1917 Clinic.
Our approach emphasizes education and awareness for staff and clients, fostering an environment that promotes well-being, strengthens the delivery of services, and incorporates skills-based methods to help individuals manage stress and improve their overall health. We use evidence-based strategies to create a supportive setting where patients can better understand how past experiences may affect their daily lives, develop self-regulation skills, and establish plans to move forward in a healthy and productive way. CAI has been engaged in this work for nearly two decades, beginning with support from the September 11th Fund, which enabled us to assist early childhood providers in communities deeply affected by the attack by developing educational strategies to address behavioral challenges stemming from adversity.
Related Projects
Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information
Summary: This project helps health care practitioners, individuals, states, and communities understand and apply health privacy laws related to their work, and it helps patients and families know what their rights are when seeking treatment for substance use disorders or mental health.
School-Based Health Portfolio Project
Summary: This project helps build the skills and capacity of school-based health staff—as well as staff of other youth-serving organizations—to provide high-quality, evidence-based sexual, reproductive, and mental health care to adolescents.
Project SUCCEED
Summary: This national project helps organizations provide incarcerated people with the tools and support they need to manage substance use disorders before they are released from prison, so that they can self-manage relapse prevention over the long term once they’re released; helps providers engage people both before and after they are released from prison; and equips community-based organizations to be a key resource for people in their first year after release from prison.