Community Partnership of the Ozarks is proud to announce it has been awarded a three-year Mental Health Awareness Training grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the training of a diverse group of Greene County adults in adult mental health first aid and youth mental health first aid in collaboration with several local community organizations and behavioral health partners.
This training will help adults detect and respond to mental health challenges and crises in adults and youth in Greene County. Both MHFA and YMHFA are public education programs that introduce participants to the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems and build an understanding of the importance of early intervention. Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and substance use treatment and support.
This grant will allow Community Partnership of the Ozarks to continue the work it has been doing the past three years through a separate SAMHSA grant. Over 1,700 individuals were trained in YMHFA and over 17,000 youth were referred to Greene County mental health professional or other support services.
A testimony from a local school counselor Tracy Livingston is a notable example on the impact these trainings have made and will continue to make.
“I am thankful that CPO has provided YMHFA training for teachers and others who come in contact with students at school besides the counselor. I am in a K-5 school and many times teachers are the first to be told or hear that a student is talking about suicide and it is helpful for teachers to understand how to handle that first interaction. Not only have I had several teachers talk about the impact of having to use the words, ‘Are you thinking about killing yourself?’ has had on them, but also how they feel more empowered to handle the initial situation having gone through the training.”
By continuing the momentum of YMHFA and implementing MHFA through the Greene County Mental Health Awareness Training Project, Community Partnership of the Ozarks expects to see an increase in the mental health literacy of Greene County adults and an increased awareness of mental health issues among Greene County middle and high school-aged youth.
For more information about Mental Health Awareness Training, visit www.cpozarks.org/mentalhealth.