CBH Care Expanding to Provide Mental Health First Aid® to All Community Populations

Evidence has shown that one of the most impactful ways to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and increase access to care for those experiencing mental health issues, thereby reducing crisis situations, is through education.

CBH Care is committed to leading the charge in this area by offering virtual presentations, week-long training sessions, immersive classes and now Mental Health First Aid® for adults (MHFA), for adults engaged with young people (YMHFA), and for adolescents (tMHFA). 

Like lay-person CPR courses, participants will leave the course with knowledge and skills that can help someone who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, developing a mental health issue, living with a mental health disorder, or experiencing a crisis.

We are so pleased to be able to expand our organizational structure to include a designated division in our Community Engagement and Special Projects Department. While this effort is not solely focused on school communities, much of our initial work has been in this area.

We are happily launching our new division in partnership with the Bergen County Technical School – Teterboro and assisting them as they implement tMHFA in the sophomore health curriculum. Additionally, Paramus School District has embarked on an ambitious plan to certify all of their staff in YMHFA over the next several school years. During the 2021-2022 school year, we will instruct 10 courses certifying approximately 250 Youth Mental Health First Aiders in the district.

To understand the course differences, read our brief outline below:

Mental Health First Aid (Standard/Adult course)

8-hour, instructor-led, in-person course which teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. 

Youth Mental Health First Aid (for adults who assist young people)

6.5 hour, instructor-led, in-person course which teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. 

teen Mental Health First Aid (High school students in grades 10, 11 and 12)

teen Mental Health First Aid teaches high school students how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. The training gives students the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and get a responsible and trusted adult to take over as necessary. It is designed to be delivered in schools or community sites in three interactive classroom sessions of 90 minutes each or six sessions of 45 minutes each. Additionally, implementing schools/community sites must teach entire grade levels, not just small segments of the student population.

Sue Devlin, CBH Care Executive Director, shared her enthusiasm over these new offerings and her aspirations moving forward. 

“I am thankful for the schools who have invited us into their community to help provide these crucial mental health awareness classes to young people and to adults. By expanding our community programming we are reaffirming our commitment to our consumers, those who care about them, the advancement of access to services, greater knowledge of resources and the reduction of Stigma.”

If you are interested in learning more about hosting a Mental Health First Aid® course, bringing tMHFA to your school community, or just looking to learn more, please contact Stephanie Hartman at shartman@cbhcare.com or 201.707.3005.