Training responders and individuals to navigate using mental health first aid (train-mhfa) - to address barriers to mental health services among communities of color (asian, african american and…

Training responders and individuals to navigate using mental health first aid (train-mhfa) - to address barriers to mental health services among communities of color (asian, african american and latinx) in chicago, the asian health coalition (AHC) proposes to implement training responders and individuals to navigate using mental health first aid (train-mhfa) project. Three staff members from the AHC will become certified instructors in mental health first aid training (mhfa). Then, they will provide mhfa trainings to 700 community members (first responders, teachers, parents and youth) and community advocates (community-based organization (CBO) staff) who will become mental health first aiders. The project is designed to run for five years and will achieve the following goals: 1. Increase mental health literacy among CBO staff members, first responders, teachers, parents and youth to recognize signs and symptoms of mental disorders and increase their confidence in responding to people of color with mental disorders and employing crisis DE-escalation techniques. 2. Increase the capacity of CBO partners to enhance referral mechanisms and coordination of mental health services for people of color with mental health challenges. 3. Increase mental health first aiders' cultural competency when responding to people of color with mental health challenges. Additionally, AHC will target these measurable objectives of the train-mhfa project. 1. By year 5, 700 CBO staff members, first responders, teachers, parents and youth in communities of color will complete the mhfa trainings and become mental health first aiders. 2. By year 5, 20 mental health literacy and skill-based educational sessions will be provided to all mental health first aiders via project echo. And, 20 mental health capacity building educational sessions will be provided to all CBO partners via project echo. 3. By the 6TH month of the first year of the project, CBO partners will be able to implement the linage to care project - IL care continuum portal to make referrals to mental health providers. 4. By year 3, a multi-lingual (english, spanish, chinese, korean, and hindi) mental health community resource guide will be developed and disseminated to community members and mental health first aiders. 5. By year 3, five cultural supplements in chinese, korean, south asian, latinx and african american cultures will be developed and at least 200 mental health first aiders will have completed at least one of the supplements. The AHC strives to build off of the successes of our previous work and deliver more robust and culturally relevant mental health services through train-mhfa.