CBH Care Welcomes Stephanie Hartman, Mental Health First Aid® Coordinator
In October, CBH Care welcomed Stephanie Hartman to the organization to spearhead the Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA) programs offered to the community.
Hartman is a leading mental health education professional in Bergen County and arrives at CBH Care from the County health department, where she oversaw and instituted MHFA programs for Bergen County residents of all ages.
In her role for the County, Hartman led a training corps designed to enhance educational opportunities for the general community, school communities, and organizations regarding mental health literacy, in order to increase awareness of resources and reduce stigma. Similarly, for CBH Care she will provide leadership and instruction to enhance mental health literacy, decrease stigma, increase cultures of wellness within environments, as well as increase knowledge of resources primarily through the lens of MHFA courses.
“At CBH Care I’m working with a core group of instructors both internal to the organization and in the community to increase MHFA instruction and awareness,” Hartman said. “Presently, for example, we are collaborating with specific schools both on increasing their staff development in Youth Mental Health First Aid and implementing student literacy programming through teen Mental Health First Aid. As an organization we can provide instruction, but we can also act in a consulting role to help them achieve success as they implement these courses with their staff.”
Deep Connections to Mental Health Services in Bergen County
Hartman joined the Bergen County Health Department in the Office of Alcohol and Drug Dependency in 2016. She began working on the County’s Municipal Alliance program, community programming, and became a MHFA instructor in November of that year.
In October of 2017, her responsibilities shifted when she joined the Division of Mental Health to became the coordinator of the Bergen County Mental Health First Aid Training Corps which consisted of 30 instructors that included people who worked for the County as well as staff from community mental health agencies, other social service agencies, and community volunteers. As a coordinator for the instructional arm of the Bergen County Stigma-Free initiative, her primary role was instructing, planning courses, and supporting corps members as they instructed. Additionally she would promote the courses and mental health literacy in the community through health fairs, community forums, wellness initiatives, and more. While with the County, Hartman planned and implemented courses for the public as well as any outside entity that requested instruction. Many were schools, stigma-free clubs, and other municipalities.
Extolling the Value of Mental Health First Aid® Courses
Whether accessing Adult Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid (for adults assisting young people), or teen Mental Health First Aid (for ages 15-18), the content of the courses takes an overarching look at mental health, helps people identify signs and symptoms, and gives participants tools and an action plan to assist someone who may be developing a mental health issue, may be living with a mental health disorder, or may be experiencing a mental health crisis. First Aiders leave the course confident, compassionate and prepared to provide the assistance someone may need. Additionally, they are equipped with the language and statistics to dispel myths that exist surrounding mental health.
“This public education course is named this way because of its similarity to regular first aid. A person is there to triage and bridge to proper qualified support. You are not there to diagnose or provide therapeutic services; you are there to be alert to signs, ask questions, provide reassurance and help the individual reach the next stage of intervention, if needed. These courses are designed for anyone and everyone and are meant to support you as you reach out and potentially assist a loved one, a coworker, a friend or a stranger in any of the mental health stages mentioned previously. Providing optimism, hope, and an understanding ear for someone who may be developing a mental health issue or experiencing a crisis are among the most important aspects of being a mental health first aider,” said Hartman.
“We are excited to welcome Stephanie to CBH Care and look forward to expanding our Mental Health First Aid curriculum and capabilities. Mental Health First Aid plays an important role in recognizing, approaching, addressing, bridging to a resource, and especially letting somebody know that you care about them.”
Active in the Community Around the Clock
Born and raised in Bergen County, Hartman is as active in her personal time as she is at CBH Care. She is in her fourth term as a member of the Board of Education for the River Dell Regional School District and is a founding member and managing director of Friends of Buck’s Rock, a nonprofit that works to expand the opportunity for young people to access Buck’s Rock Creative and Performing Arts Camp.
Prior to joining the division of mental health, Hartman worked for nonprofits in development and special events fundraising, including the American Diabetes Association, and the AIDS Resource Center in Manhattan, which is now known as Bailey House, a leader in housing, support, and advocacy for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Hartman is married with a son and a daughter both currently in graduate school.