The Mental Health Academy is a training program to educate non-mental health community members to better understand mental illnesses and addictions and provide effective response options for de-escalation. The MHA program will offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention and Outreach Wellness Learning (OWL) seminars, curriculum of common research-based mood and anxiety disorders, to community members. MHAG works to improve mental health outcomes among the general population.
MHAG evaluate for the following outcomes 1) assist in the education and reduction of stigma of mental health and 2) increase coordination of mental health treatment and supports for community members. The goals and objectives include: (1) Increase mental health literacy for first responders, Faith-based organizations and families of veterans to support individuals with behavioral health challenges. The objective is to provide training to 3,000 community members; (2) Improve coordination and access of resources, mental health treatment and supports in communities. The objective is to develop pathways to care that is clear for community members and utilize screening tools to determine early access needs; (3) Promote mental wellness and enhance recovery for individuals with mental illnesses. The objective is to ensure that 25% of the trained population will utilize screening tools to recognize symptoms earlier and recommend services sooner than later.
