SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL ILLNESS GRANTS PLANNED

Although the drug of choice in the area continues to be alcohol,
according to the Northeast Colorado Health and Human Services
Planning Consortium, other drugs such as methamphetamine are quickly
becoming an even more serious problem.

However the group is working to become an umbrella agency to apply
for and help distribute dollars to fight the problem in the near
future.

The "Community Grants Strategy" for implementation of the Colorado
Trust's Healthy People 2010 Initiative will focus on two areas,
substance abuse and mental health, and the group is actively seeking
proposals to fight these problems in nine counties in eastern
Colorado, including Washington, Morgan, Logan, Kit Carson, Lincoln,
Sedgwick, Phillips, Weld and Yuma.

"While there is some methamphetamine use in urban areas -- and in
recent months more and more attention is being focused on this
reality -- by far the largest problem seems to be in rural
communities," according to Tom Westfall, director of social services
in Yuma County. "Rural areas are particularly vulnerable because of
the isolation necessary for the manufacture of meth," he says.
"Several recipes for synthesizing the drug require farm chemicals
readily available in rural areas."

According to Dr. Nick Taylor, a leader in developing community-based
responses to increased usage in Colorado, "Meth use just seems to fit
in rural communities. There's a significant subculture that develops
in communities where methamphetamine use is present."

Many people who abuse drugs and alcohol suffer with what mental
health practitioners refer to as "co-occurring disorders." This means
people not only have a substance abuse problem, but they also have a
mental illness (often undiagnosed) as well, says Westfall. "Many
mentally ill people with chemical imbalances in their systems simply
'medicate' their systems with drugs (both prescription and illegal)
and alcohol."

The lack of readily available treatment resources, both for substance
abuse and mental illness, particularly for non-English speaking
populations, has been identified as a barrier to healthy communities,
according to Westfall. "Mental illness, though largely ignored by the
general population, continues to be a significant health concern for
many people in the region. Suicide rates throughout our region are
higher than in other areas of the state and country, and depression
is also present in significant numbers."

In an effort to help curb these problems, the consortium is
soliciting grants through the RFP process which address substance
abuse, especially methamphetamine use, from a prevention and early
intervention standpoint. Grant requests dealing with the
environmental health hazards of the contaminants in meth manufacture
will also be welcome.

Grant requests which propose to reduce workplace accidents that occur
as a result of substance abuse will be welcomed, as will those
addressing motor vehicle accidents resulting from substance abuse.
Proposals which focus on reducing barriers to treatment are
encouraged. The consortium also encourages grant proposals which seek
to reduce or eliminate alcohol or illegal drug consumption by
pregnant women of all cultures.

Other grant proposals which will be considered include those for
community education regarding the issues surrounding substance abuse
and/or mental illness; early detection of mental illness, such as
depression screening and other forms of early intervention and those
which focus on the issue of co-occurring substance abuse and mental
health problems.

The target population will not be limited to a specific gender or age
group, says Westfall. However, the consortium will give preferential
consideration to projects that focus on under-served groups within
larger communities. Funded projects will need to demonstrate the
capacity to deliver the service or program in a bi-lingual,
culturally appropriate manner.

"The RFP (request for proposal) will be issued in May," says
Westfall. "We hope to have them back by the second week in July."