The Grant
Preferred Family Healthcare has received a major grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement a Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) project within 27 northern Missouri counties.The three-year grants totals $363,092. MHAT will offer mental health training targeting individuals working with the youth and young adult populations 4-25 years of age. The training sessions will follow the Mental Health First Aid curriculum.
The Program
Mental Health First Aid is operated by the National Council for Behavioral Health in partnership with the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Mental Health First Aid is a skill-based program that teaches individuals to utilize an evidence-based action plan of assessing for risk of suicide or harm, listening non-judgmentally, giving reassurance and information, encouraging appropriate professional help, and encouraging self-help and other support strategies.MHAT will provide the Mental Health First Aid training to 2,100 individuals over the next three years. In addition to training, MHAT will promote mental health awareness in the community through social media campaigns and community collaboration, and distribute information for local resources to assist families and individuals suffering from mental health disorders. The program began on September 30, 2018. The training sessions began on October 18, 2018.
SAMHSA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. The SAMHSA will fully fund all MHAT project operations including the Mental Health First Aid training sessions and social media campaigns. Over the three-year grant period, MHAT will provide 70 training sessions, with approximately 2100 participants, with a goal of increasing participants’ knowledge of mental health disorders and the available resources for mental health treatment. For more information about the MHAT project, please contact us at 660-665-1962 or prevention@pfh.org
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