This project aims to increase the amount of mental health services offered on-island from basic therapy to more advanced psychological services for severe mental illness. This will be achieved through increasing the amount of professionals offering services on-island. It includes training and supportive services of teachers and other important service providers to increase capacity in the community to support one another. Island Health and Wellness, a nonprofit health care provider, has been able to secure funding to offer therapist services at an affordable rate, five days a week. However, funding is short term. Growth in this area is still necessary as well as securing additional long-term funding.

IMPLEMENTATION: 1. Recruit and fund more therapists to work on St. John in coordination with Island Health & Wellness and the Dept. of Health. 2. Identify locations where they can work, and long-term funding sources to ensure that this resource is always available. 3. Identify methods to make the service more appealing to all community members. 4. Develop a network of service providers and volunteers to provide wrap-around services to family and children. 5. Determine a funding source to provide Family Engagement for Teachers trainings. 6. Train teachers and frontline service providers in psychological first aid IMPLEMENTATION STEPS Access to mental health services has always been lacking on St. John and in the US Virgin Islands. Psychological distress, post-storms, along with prior unaddressed community mental health needs has created a critical need for mental health services. Providing increased ease-of-access to those in economic need is also vital. In a post-storm survey, almost 50% of people indicated that therapy/counseling is an important service to them.

 Key Players: Dept. of Health; Schneider Medical Center; Island Health and Wellness; Cruz Bay Family Practice Alignment: HHS RSF Cost: $100,000 - $1 Million Timeline: < 1 Year