LOHF Supports Mental Health First Aid with The National Council of Behavioral Health

422500_10150583810530754_552495113_n 2We are pleased to announce our support for an exciting new initiative with The National Council for Behavioral Health to reach one million Mental Health First Aiders in 2016!

Mental Health First aid teaches you how to help people developing a mental illness or in a crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches adults specifically how to help young people who are struggling with a mental illness or in a crisis. To learn more or find a course near you, visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

Through increased awareness, training and support, we can help more children, youth and families access mental and behavioral health care sooner and more easily. Mental Health First Aid is one great tool to help us reach goals of increasing understanding and awareness about mental health, decreasing stigma, and improving access to care.

We recently joined our colleagues from Scattergood Foundation hosted by the National Council for Behavioral Health for a discussion about the innovative ways Mental Health First Aid can address the behavioral health needs of a community. Along with our colleagues at foundations who already fund or who are interested in funding Mental Health First Aid, we learned about some innovative work happening across the U.S. to improve training and increase access to mental and behavioral health services in our communities.

Here in Lancaster County, we are partnering with Community Services Group (CSG), Philhaven, and Mental Health America of Lancaster County to support Mental Health First Aid trainings. We are also excited that the School District of Lancaster is launching their efforts to train many school and community members.

In Chesty County, the Brandywine Health Foundation and Scattergood Foundation have partnered to provide Youth Mental Health First Aid training in the Coatesville community. Learn more about their work here.