Mental Health First Aid Training Program
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour nation-wide, evidence-based training course to teach participants how to help someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. The course teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Courses are taught by a trained mental health facilitator to groups ranging from 15 to 50 participants.
NAMI-DuPage has offered Mental Health First Aid courses since 2013, the most recent years are in collaboration with Community Memorial Foundation Hospital. Uniquely, NAMI-DuPage's course facilitators are peers in their community who have first-hand experience with mental health either personally or by a family member. By having a peer mental illness facilitator, it helps the audience "put a face on mental illness". NAMI-Dupage offers their courses in schools (targeting both students, teachers, and staff) and community centers with specific audiences in mind who interact with people throughout their daily jobs, such as police officers and first responders, bank employees, and realtors.
Additionally, NAMI-DuPage offers 4 distinct types of Mental Health First Aid Course:
1. Mental Health First Aid for Adults
2. Mental Health First Aid for Youth
3. Mental Health First Aid for Adults (Spanish)
4. Mental Health First Aid for Police Officers
NAMI-DuPage has offered Mental Health First Aid courses since 2013, the most recent years are in collaboration with Community Memorial Foundation Hospital. Uniquely, NAMI-DuPage's course facilitators are peers in their community who have first-hand experience with mental health either personally or by a family member. By having a peer mental illness facilitator, it helps the audience "put a face on mental illness". NAMI-Dupage offers their courses in schools (targeting both students, teachers, and staff) and community centers with specific audiences in mind who interact with people throughout their daily jobs, such as police officers and first responders, bank employees, and realtors.
Additionally, NAMI-DuPage offers 4 distinct types of Mental Health First Aid Course:
1. Mental Health First Aid for Adults
2. Mental Health First Aid for Youth
3. Mental Health First Aid for Adults (Spanish)
4. Mental Health First Aid for Police Officers
Goal / Mission
The goals of the Mental Health First Aid course are to: 1) learn to identify risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, 2) utilize evidence-based strategies to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and 3) become a resource in your community to guide people where to turn for help.
NAMI-DuPage's yearly goal is to complete 70 training courses per year.
NAMI-DuPage's yearly goal is to complete 70 training courses per year.
Impact
Mental Health First Aid helps community members become aware of signs and symptoms of someone in a mental health crisis and become a resource to mental health and behavioral health programs in their community.
Results / Accomplishments
NAMI-DuPage has over 20 trained peer facilitators, offered the MHFA courses to over 1,000 per year, and throughout general trainings and mental health awareness programs, they reach more than 35,000 people per year.
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) DuPage
Primary Contact
Angela Adkins
115 N County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 752-0066
ang.nami@gmail.com
http://namidupage.org/about/staff/
115 N County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 752-0066
ang.nami@gmail.com
http://namidupage.org/about/staff/
Topics
Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Community / Social Environment
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Community / Social Environment
Organization(s)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) DuPage
Date of implementation
2014
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
DuPage County, IL
For more details
Target Audience
Teens, Adults