DBHIDS Launches Mental Health First Aid

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DBHIDS Launches Mental Health First Aid

The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) is leading Philadelphia’s widespread implementation of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

Your Response is Greatly Needed…

MHFA is a ground-breaking early intervention public education program that teaches community members how to assist a person experiencing a behavioral health issue. MHFA teaches the skills needed to identify, understand, and respond to signs of behavioral health challenges or crises. First Aid is administered until appropriate treatment and support are received or until the crisis is resolved.

Get Certified

In order to become certified as a “Mental Health First Aider,” individuals complete an interactive 12-hour course that provides an overview of the signs of behavioral health challenges. The course also includes developing an action plan to provide initial assistance for people dealing with behavioral health challenges.

DBHIDS is in the process of training instructors to provide this course throughout Philadelphia. This initiative is funded by the City of Philadelphia and we do not anticipate having the capacity to provide this training to surrounding counties. It is anticipated that Mental Health First Aid training will be available beginning in June 2012. If you are interested in taking this training, please fill out a short survey.

We have received many inquiries from people who would like to be trained as instructors. This involves an application process. If the application is accepted, instructors receive a 5-day training, are expected to provide at least 3 MHFA trainings per year, work with program evaluators, and report some information back to project coordinators on a regular basis. All trainings of instructors that are currently scheduled are filled to capacity. However, we hope to make additional trainings available in the future. If you are interested in becoming an instructor in the future, please fill out a short survey.

F.A.Q.

What are upcoming dates for the 12-hour Mental Health First Aid training?: We are in the process of training instructors to deliver this training. We anticipate that the trainings will be available beginning in June 2012. If you are interested in attending a training, please click on the link below to fill out a short survey. This will give us the information we need to notify you of upcoming trainings. Once a schedule is available, we will post that information here as well.
How can I register to take the 12-hour Mental Health First Aid training?: The trainings are not yet available. We are currently collecting information from those who are interested. Please click on the following link to fill out a short survey. This will give us the information we need to notify you when trainings are available. Once trainings are available and registration is open, we will post that information
here as well.
Is there any charge or fee for the training?: There will be trainings available in Philadelphia free of charge to Philadelphians and those working in Philadelphia County. Because we cannot anticipate all costs associated with community-based trainings, it is possible that some trainings in some locations will carry a fee. DBHIDS will be working with instructors to keep all costs as low as possible.
How do I find out more about Mental Health First Aid?: For more information about Mental Health First Aid go to Mental Health First Aid (USA) website.