Mental health first aid and DE-escalation training for first responders, educators, families and community members. - bhcare's program, alliance for prevention & wellness (APW), mental health…

Mental health first aid and DE-escalation training for first responders, educators, families and community members. - bhcare's program, alliance for prevention & wellness (APW), mental health awareness training project will target the greater new haven metropolitan area of CT. The project goals include a. To provide mental health first aid and DE-escalation training to first responders, educators, families and community members to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, including DE-escalation techniques, for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, with serious mental illness (SMI) or with serous emotional disturbance (SED). B. To develop printed and electronic materials to be distributed to course participants that identify mental health resources available to assist individuals experiencing SMI, SED or who are in crisis. C. Increase the number of referrals for mental health services made by certified mental health first aiders. D. To build training capacity specifically for first responders. APW's mental health awareness project will accomplish the goals by implementing the following obetives 1. By semtpeber 28, 2026, 525 unduplicated individuals in the greater new haven area will be trained in mental health first aid and DE-escalation techniques as measured B competian of mhfa certification exam with a score of 85 or higher and completion of the DE-escalation course evaluation. 2. By september 28, 2026, 1,000 resource guides will have been printed outlining mental health and community support services in the greater new haven area as measured by 525 participants receiving at least one copy during their training class. 3. By september 28, 2026 the electronic version of the resource guide posted to APW website at WWW.APW-CT.ORG will have been accessed by participants and community members as measured by monthly web page views. 4. By september 28, 2026, 4 new mhfa instructors will be certified to tech mhfa adult and public safety, and fire/EMS curriculums as measured by receiving instructor certification. The geographical catchment area where training will be delivered is the greater new haven metropolitan area. Its is part of south-central CT which includes a 36-TWN region with a total population if 850,717 and a median household income ranging from $43,386 to $136,786 (source: CT open data, 2015 and ctdata.ORG 2016 median income). The greater new haven region is an economically diverse area spanning from small rural communities of 2,556 to the second largest city in the state, new haven, which has a population of 135,175. The projected number of people to be served annually includes 105 first responders educators, family, and community members with 525 served over lifetime of the project. The lifeline that those 525 certified mhfa trainees will be for someone with SMI