Community Education Mental Health First Aid Training Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) has developed an active community education program focused on Mental Health First Aid © (MHFA). Mental Health First Aid © is a training course that teaches individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. DBH has an ongoing community stakeholder process that includes standing meetings, forums, and culturally driven committees. It was through this process that community education needs were identified and MHFA selected as an appropriate training to address those needs. DBH staff facilitates the community trainings and in addition to the training curriculum, provides information about local community behavioral health resources, community crisis services and information for service linkage. The primary goals of the community education program are to address stigma, decrease discrimination against persons with behavioral health disorders, and increase mental health awareness. DBH’s outreach focused programs expend a considerable amount of time and effort conducting culture specific outreach and marketing MHFA training using various methods, resulting in high levels of community interest and active community participation. The trainings are well attended with various community groups represented. Targeted outreach and groups that have been represented include faith-based organizations, foster family agencies, foster parents, youth groups, and veterans serving groups. All of the community MHFA courses are provided free of charge and conducted throughout the county in locations that are easily accessible to the community. In addition to partnering with the community, DBH has also provided MHFA trainings to other county departments to help improve service delivery for county residents affected by mental illness.