It is our mission to eliminate the stigma and discrimination against those living with mental health and substance use disorders. A major component of our work includes mental health training. We provide trainings to various audiences, from community-based organizations to corporate workplaces. Our goal is to instill knowledge, confidence, and acceptance about mental health and substance use disorders. Research shows the most effective way to eliminate stigma is through face-to-face interaction with someone who has lived experience. Our team possesses training experience and personal experience with mental health and substance use disorder.
Many of these trainings can be tailored for an audience and we welcome the chance to discuss ways we can meet your training needs, including virtual trainings.
Mental Health 101: the Basics
Length of training: 1-hour
Training Capacity: 15 – 50 (flexible to serve larger crowds)
Description: This training provides foundational information for people with no formal experiences with mental health or substance use. The training will cover the importance of mental health, reduce stigma, and understand recovery & treatment.
Learning Objectives:
- Foundational understanding of mental health related to overall health.
- The significance of the complexity of the many types of stigma preventing people from identifying and addressing their mental health and substance use conditions.
Strategies to Help Manage Stress, Improve Self-Care, and Reduce Isolation
Length of training: 1-hour
Training Capacity: 15 – 50 (flexible to serve larger crowds)
Description: This training provides support, resources, and strategies for people to appropriately and healthily manage new life circumstances. The training will cover the importance of mental health and the impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives, and how we can respond.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the basis of mental health, specifically how it relates to national threats. • Recognize the signs of stress in ourselves and others.
- Review effective strategies for stress-management, self-care, and reducing isolation. • Provide relevant resources for future mental health support.
Mental Health Awareness Training
Length of training: 2-4 hours (customizable based on need)
Training Capacity: 15 – 50 (flexible to serve larger crowd)
Description: Mental Health Awareness Training helps participants identify signs and symptoms of mental disorders, reduce stigma, understand recovery and treatment, and how to help during a mental health crisis. A certificate of completion is provided to all participants.
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Learning Objectives:
- Definitions of mental disorders and overview of statistics regarding prevalence of mental disorders.
- Basic overview of types of mental disorders (depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) and tools to identify signs and symptoms of mental disorders.
- Effective responses to someone exhibiting signs and symptoms and in a mental health emergency.
- Discussion regarding the impact of stigma and provision of resource materials for individuals who may need access to treatment and/or to provide to those who may need access and support.
Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace
Length of training: 2-4 hours (customizable based on need)
Training Capacity: 15 – 50 (flexible to serve larger crowd)
Description: Mental Health Awareness in the workplace is a training created to support and improve the mental health of employees. It discusses ways to identify signs and symptoms of mental disorders, reduce stigma in workplace and understand recovery.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand workplace mental health facts and statistics.
- Discuss how poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employees and the workplace. • Provide an overview of types of mental disorders and information to identify signs and symptoms of mental disorders and how to intervene.
- Share techniques for self-care.
Talk Saves Lives
Length of training: 45-60 minutes
Training Capacity: 15 – 50 (flexible to serve larger crowd)
Description: Talk Saves Lives is an introductory level community presentation from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention that is based on the leading suicide prevention research. The training covers what we know about this leading cause of death, the most up-to-date statistics on prevention, and what we can all do to fight suicide. Participants will learn the common risk factors, how to spot the warning signs in others, and how to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and those in our community safe.
Learning Objectives:
- The importance of modeling appropriate language so that we do not perpetuate the stigma of suicide or mental health conditions.
- Highlight the global and national statistics and raise awareness of the critical importance of prevention.
- Understand health, historical, and environmental risk factors that increase a person’s risk for suicidal behavior.
- Explore how to have conversation, self-care, warming signs, and resources.
Mental Health First Aid
Length of training: 8 hours
Training Capacity: 35
Description: Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person in crisis and connect the person with help. The training builds understanding of the impact of mental disorders and
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reviews common supports. A certification that is good for three years is provided to all participants. All trainees receive a program manual to compliment the course material.
Learning Objectives:
- Use the 5-step action plan, ALGEE, to support someone developing signs and symptoms of a mental disorders.
- Introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental disorders. • Interpret the prevalence of various mental health disorders among adults and the need to reduced stigma in their communities.
- Discuss the recovery model and how to help individuals who might be living with mental health challenges.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Length of training: 8 hours
Training Capacity: 35
Description: Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to give individuals who work with youth key skills to help an adolescent developing a mental health challenge or experiencing a mental health crisis. The course covers a range of common disorders and potential crises. A certification that is good for three years is provided to all participants. All trainees receive a program manual to compliment the course material.
Learning Objectives:
- Use the 5-step action plan, ALGEE, to support youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental disorders.
- Introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental disorders. • Apply knowledge of the appropriate professional resources available to help a young person. • Learn how to encourage resiliency among youth who might be living with mental health challenges.
For more information, please contact Program Director, James Burns: James@thekennedyforum.org.