Enhancing Mental Health Literacy and Response Training for Transit Agency Staff

This project builds on the findings from the initial evaluation of mental health challenges and safety concerns in 11 transit agencies across the United States. Research findings identified gaps in mental health literacy, de-escalation strategies, and applicable crisis response training for transit operators and staff. To address these gaps, the University of South Florida's Mental Health Law & Policy Evaluation Team proposes the development of a tailored mental health training curriculum outline. This curriculum outline will serve as a condensed and transit-specific version of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), incorporating: (1) core mental health literacy concepts; (2) role-playing exercises for real-world transit scenarios; (3) psychoeducation on mental health symptomology; (4) psychoeducation on substance use and crisis intervention; (5) de-escalation techniques specific to mental health; and (6) pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate knowledge retention and application. This project will provide practical, research-based tools to enhance transit operators' ability to identify, de-escalate, and appropriately respond to mental and behavioral health health-related incidents in transit settings.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $7,500.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348328

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation

  San Jose State University
  San Jose, CA  United States  95112
• Managing Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation

  San Jose State University
  San Jose, CA  United States  95112
• Principal Investigators:

  Staes, Lisa

• Start Date: 20250301
• Expected Completion Date: 20250831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conflict management; Education and training; Mental disorders; Psychological aspects; Public transit; Transit personnel
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01946689
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348328
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Feb 20 2025 12:26PM