Transcript TIKVA: BUILDING AND SUSTAINING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE ORTHODOX JEWISH COMMUNITY THROUGH POSITIVE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNAL INITIATIVE: A GRANT PROPOSAL By Raizel C.

TIKVA: BUILDING AND SUSTAINING MENTAL HEALTH
IN THE ORTHODOX JEWISH COMMUNITY
THROUGH POSITIVE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNAL INITIATIVE:
A GRANT PROPOSAL
By
Raizel C. Lax
California State University, Long Beach
Expected Graduation Date: May 2013
INTRODUCTION
The Problem
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Mental illness has far reaching negative implications. First, similar to physical illnesses, individuals with mental
illnesses have pain and suffering that can affect their ability to sleep, eat, work, relate to others, and manage many of
the tasks of daily living. Dissimilar to physical illnesses, mental illnesses often include dealing with stigmatization, such
as being ostracized from families, friends, communities, and mainstream society. Individuals with mental illnesses are
sometimes viewed as being damaged or defective, which can lead to discrimination when they are looking for
employment, education, and housing (Corrigan & Kleinlein, 2005), as well as seeking meaningful social or romantic
relationships. Discrimination often leads to more shame, isolation, and depression. Those emotional states cause
further separation from society, exacerbating already difficult circumstances (Shrivastava, Johnston, & Bureau, 2012).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 25% of adults in the United States have a mental
illness, ranging from mild to moderate to severe. About 40 million adults, 18.1% of the Unite States population, are
diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Schizophrenia affects around 2.4 million American adults, comprising 1.1% of the
Unite States population. Additionally, 1 in 10 children are diagnosed with a mental or emotional disorder during
childhood (CDC, 2002).

Studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that 6.7% of adults suffer from major
depressive disorder, 1% are diagnosed with schizophrenia and 2.6% with bipolar disorder. Anxiety disorders affect
18.7% of the Unite States adult population, and anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depression and addiction
disorders (NIMH, 2007).
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Another significant CDC finding was the high incidence of physical illnesses co-occurring with mental disorders, such as
hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. There is a correlation between insufficient use of medical care and
prevalence of mental illness. Individuals who spend many years suffering from physical illnesses and receive
inadequate medical care are more likely to have mental health maladies such as depression and anxiety (CDC, 2002).
Purpose of the Project
The purpose of this project was to locate funding that will be used to offer culturally sensitive education classes for the
Orthodox Jewish community. One component of the educational focus will be to identify community-based mental
health resources such as private practice clinics, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and the National Alliance
for the Mentally Ill.
SOCIAL WORK RELEVANCE
Relevance to Social Work and Multicultural Practice



The Orthodox Jewish community is a minority in need of culturally sensitive social workers and other mental health services
and education. The culture encourages members to keep social issues affecting the community private for two reasons. First,
there is a fear of negative reactions from outsiders; and second, is the fear of potential “disintegration” from within.
The lack of action is partially because people are uninformed and because families are reluctant to seek counseling and
assistance outside of their own cultural and strict religious framework. These restrictions limit their access to resources even
further. Social issues that go unchecked have repercussions and the people who need help have no voice or safe place to turn
to for support.
Orthodox Jewish communities need social workers who are trained to respond with sensitivity and adherence to the
six major principles of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2008) Code of Ethics: competence, dignity, integrity,
importance of relationships, service, and social justice.
CROSS-CULTURAL RELEVANCE


The Office of Minority Health (OMH; 2010) statistical reports verify the overrepresentation of adult ethnic
minorities who are diagnosed with mental illness in the United States (OMH, 2010). Religion also can have
a connection to mental health and mental illness, and has an important role in the daily lives of many
individuals. “Psychologists have long been interested in the role that religion plays in the interpretation and
response to life events and how this manifests itself in everyday psychological adjustment” (Hackney &
Sanders, 2003, p. 43).
Of critical significance is attention to stigma that children, youth, parents, single adults, and
families sometimes experience within the Jewish culture that, like so many other cultural
minorities, tends to suffer from lack of information and shame as barriers to obtaining support.
METHODS
Target Population
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The target population for this program is Orthodox Jewish families, teachers, and leaders living in Los Angeles Orthodox
community. Community and religious leaders, parents and teachers will be the first target population. These groups
will be educated and empowered with the skills they need to take active leadership roles within the community setting.
Strategies used to identify and select a funding source
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Potential funding providers for these educational programs was derived from national, state, and local foundations and
for profit organizations, especially those that have a history of donating to religious, especially Jewish, groups, for
example a report of “Top Jewish Foundations and their Philanthropic Giving.” A budget for services and costs was
calculated in order to allocate the most fitting financial sponsor. Research for funding sources began at the California
State University, Long Beach Library database. The library research presented a number of websites that offer
educational programs financial funding. Some of these websites included: Jewish Community Foundation of Los
Angeles (jewishfoundationla.org), Fundsnet.com (fundsnetservices.com), Walter and Elise Haas Fund (haassr.org)
Grants for Nonprofits (grantwatch.com), and Anne and Henry Zarro Foundation (zarrow.com). These websites and
organizations offer an array of services and funding initiatives.
Helpful search engines used to locate potential grants include: Google, Google Scholar, AOL, Yahoo, and Internet
Explorer. Topics searched will include: “grants childhood mental illness,” “Jewish community grants,” “grants mental
illness prevention,” “grants educating families about mental illness,” and “grants funding for individuals with a mental
illness.” Any variation of these search terms may be used in order to cover all potential funding sources regarding the
issue of mental health and mental illness.
Identify the funding source selected
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The Walter and Elise Haas Fund was selected as the program funding source. Walter and Elise established the
philanthropic fund as a way of carrying on their legacy, which was a commitment to improving communities and society
as a whole. After a half century, and the deaths of both husband and wife, their legacy of honesty, caring, education
and community support live on.
Sources Used for the Needs Assessment
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Several sources were investigated in order to collect pertinent information about the effects of stigma and mental
illness in communities. Some of these educational and informative resources include: government websites, scholarly
journals from the California State Universities Library, and a host of studies, documented online or in books, all relevant
to the topic of stigma and mental illness. Studies assessing the effects of mental illness on individuals and families
have been relevant to the endeavor of developing a program specifically focused on addressing mental health concerns
in the Orthodox Jewish community in Los Angeles. These studies provide insight into the many intricate needs of
individuals, families and communities. The information gathered supports the program’s plan to assist the Jewish
Orthodox minority in need of support.
Projected Budget Range and Categories

The program’s budget will include costs for running a 1 year pilot program, anticipating that its success might make it
ongoing and replicable for other Jewish communities. This budget includes personnel staffing costs for one part time
project coordinator at the LCSW level ($7,800), two MSW professionals to help develop and co-ordinate groups
($10,400), and two BSW interns to help with outreach and groups ($9,360).
Direct Program Expenses
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Program expenses include; educational materials and resources, rent, utilities, office supplies, printing, refreshments
and any other expenses amounts to $7,700 in direct costs to run the program for 1 year. Equipment includes: two
laptops, costing $1,200 and two phones costing $300. Total cost for equipment comes to $1,500. Printing costs are
an estimated $1,300 for a printer and printing fliers and educational handouts and pamphlets. There is a $1,000
budget for office expenses, which include: pens, paper, staplers, binders, printer ink, dry erase board, calendar and
other miscellaneous office supplies. Funds for refreshments can run up to $2,000. Funds allotted to miscellaneous or
unexpected costs can run up to $1,000 these funds will be used for educational materials, office supplies and technical
support.
In-Kind Expenses
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Rental of the facility’s seminar room and utilities costs $45,000 per year. The proposed program would utilize space in
a family service agency, synagogue or private school. The program location would provide the program with free
utilities, and space, where they could able prepare for, and run the psycho-educational groups free of rental and utility
fees.
GRANT PROPOSAL
Program Summary and Description
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The proposed project would be a seminar series, psycho-educational in nature. The target group members are
Orthodox Jewish community leaders. The aim is to help those who are trusted and hold varying positions of authority in
the community. The goal is to have community leaders capable of both identifying and assessing for families and
individuals in crisis. These leaders will be trained to offer peer counseling and referrals to community members in
need, in ways that are psychologically sound and culturally sensitive. Community leaders will learn to identify signs of
mental illness and families and individuals in crisis. Group participants will learn how to safely approach those who are
in crisis and assist them with referrals and offer peer counseling where appropriate. Interventions will both be
preventative in nature and it will help reduce the potential of further harm to community members in crisis.
Intervention priorities are as follows; safety, providing education and services to those in need, addressing issues
pertaining to psychological and social well-being, reduction of stigma, providing support and a sense of belonging to all
community members.
Population Served
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The target population for this program is Orthodox Jewish families, teachers, and leaders living in Los Angeles Orthodox
community. Community and religious leaders, parents and teachers will be the first target population. These groups
will be educated and empowered with the skills they need to take active leadership roles within the community setting.
The objectives of the program will address a number of social issues. The first intervention will be educating the school
staff and teachers to identify signs of mental illness in youth. Once at-risk youth are identified, the next goal will be to
offer support and train staff to take the necessary steps that will ensure the safety of these students. Supportive
services for students will include referrals for individual counseling and group therapy.
Sustainability
One of the purposes of this psycho-educational program is to equip leaders with the knowledge and capability to act on
behalf of community members in need with greater independence and success. With the help of this psychoeducational program, leaders, who already hold positions of authority, are able to take a more proactive role in helping
meet the needs of individuals and families affected by mental illness in their community. Training session may not have
to be run for a full year every year, unless recommended and necessary. Community leaders can have access to the
educational materials and conduct brief groups on their own for their peers and colleagues. The main sources of
community support will be referrals to mental health service agencies such as the county Department of Mental Health,
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and other community mental health service agencies.
Program Objectives
The following objectives for this program include: (a) reduce negative attitudes of stigma and mental illness among
leaders and community members; (b) increase awareness and accurate knowledge about mental illness among
community leaders; (c) increase community involvement for individuals and families affected by mental illness; (d)
leaders will have increased familiarity and knowledge about mental health resources; (e) leaders will have the
necessary skills to offer brief counseling and to make necessary referrals to community members in need or mental
health supportive services; and (f) create a supportive network of community leaders who can support and guide one
another.
Program Evaluation
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A specialized assessment Likert scaling tool will be created for the population participating in the psycho-educational
groups. The survey questions are based on the scholarly literature findings from chapter 2. The survey will measure
the following three areas: group dynamics, educational effectiveness, and attitudes about mental illness and stigma.
The assessment is a pre- and posttest that will be conducted at the beginning of the 6-weeks, and then again at the
end of the series of sessions. The assessment survey consists of knowledge questions about mental illness and
stigma; at the end the same survey test will be distributed as a posttest to determine what learning took place for each
group member over the 6-weeks. These assessment questions will be multiple choice, true/false and fill in the blank
LESSONS LEARNED/IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL
WORK
Lessons Learned
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The grant writing process was both enlightening and informative. Identifying and clarifying how stigma and mental illness
impacts individuals, families, and communities involved a thorough, systematic study of relevant literature and data. This
study culminated with the development of a proposed psycho-educational program designed to offer training for community
leaders. Creating the budget and program evaluation instrument made the project feel real and doable. Individuals, families
and communities are affected by mental illness, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status,
education, and sexual orientation. Because government leadership and directors of mental health agencies and organizations
develop policies that affect clients, social workers must understand how these policies impact consumers of mental health
services. The professional social worker should have a comprehensive understanding of how mental health services are
provided, who qualifies for services, and how services are distributed and funded.
Implications for Social Work
Practice
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Social workers must be committed to upholding the values proposed by the NASW which include: service, social justice, dignity and worth
of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW, 2008). All social workers and mental health
professionals involved with this proposed project are expected to abide by these core values. The mental health providers are responsible
for providing the best possible service, with the ever-present intention of promoting social justice. The proposed program aims to treat all
community members with dignity and respect by offering culturally sensitive training that will lead to healthier community and social
relationships. The program promotes the importance of recognizing the dignity, worth, and respect of all persons.
Advocacy
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Social workers are expected to have a well-developed awareness and ability to serve individually or collectively, on behalf of clients or
together with clients, to be a force for social justice, working to ensure the well-being of marginalized populations. The NASW Code of
Ethics provides the impetus, as social justice is one of the six main principles, along with competence, dignity, integrity, importance of
relationships, and service.
REFERENCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Mental illness surveillance among U.S. adults. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov
Corrigan, P., & Kleinlein, P. (2005). The impact of mental illness stigma. In P. W. Corrigan (Ed.), On the stigma of mental illness: Practical strategies for
research and social change (pp. 11–44). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Fundsnet. (2013). Children, youth and family grants. Retrieved from www.fundnet services.com
GrantWatch.(2013). Grants for non-profits. Retrieved from www.grantswatch.com
Hackney, C. & Sanders, G. (2003). Religiosity and mental health: A meta-analysis of
recent studies. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42(1), 43–55.
Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. (2013). Community grants. Retrieved from www.jewishfoundationla.org
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from www.socialworkers.org
National Institute of Mental Health. (2007). Statistics on serious mental illness. Retrieved from www.nimh.nih.gov
Office of Minority Health (2010). Disparity reduction efforts. Retrieved from www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov
Shrivastava, A., Johnston, M., & Bureau, Y. (2012). Stigma of mental illness: Clinical reflections. Mens Sana Monographs, 10(1), 70-84.
Walter and Elise Haas Fund. (2010). About the fund. Retrieved from www.haassr.org
Anne and Henry Zarro Foundation. (2013). Zarro families foundation. Retrieved from www.zarrow.com