At the end of September 2010, we will have finished our free trainings that were granted under a contract with the Sate of New Mexico. We are taking no more requests through the end of September as we are as full as can be. If more funding down the road comes our way, we will continue again with free trainings. Until that happens, we can continue to provide MHFA trainings at a cost. Please give us a call regarding these type of trainings.
Mental
Health
First
Aid (MHFA)
is
a
12-hour
training
certification
course
which
teaches
participants
a
five-step
action
plan
to
assess
a
situation,
select
and
implement
interventions
and
secure
appropriate
care
for
the
individual,
the
certification
program
introduces
participants
to
risk
factors
and
warning
signs
of
mental
health
problems,
builds
understanding
of
their
impact
and
overviews
common
treatments.
Thorough
evaluations
in
randomized
controlled
trials
and
a
quantitative
study
have
proved
the
CPR-like
program
effective
in
improving
trainees’
knowledge
of
mental
disorders,
reducing
stigma
and
increasing
the
amount
of
help
provided
to
others.
“We
welcome
The
Life
Link’s
involvement
and
enthusiasm
in
the
Mental
Health
First
Aid
community,”
says
Linda
Rosenberg,
MSW,
president
and
CEO
of
the
National
Council
for
Community
Behavioral
Healthcare,
the
organization
who
brought
Mental
Health
First
Aid
to
the
United
States
in
2008.
“We
know
they
will
have
a
great
impact
on
the
mental
health
communities
throughout
New
Mexico,
and
will
be
key
players
in
improving
mental
health
literacy
nationwide.”
In
its
pilot
year,
the
program
was
introduced
in
nearly
twenty
states
and
more
than
40
communities
nationwide.
The
National
Council
certified
The
Life
Link
to
provide
the
Mental
Health
First
Aid
program
in
August
2009
through
an
instructor
certification
course
in
Chicago,
IL.
The
Life
Link
and
all
the
sites
across
the
nation
that
replicate
this
program
maintain
strict
fidelity
to
the
original,
proven
program.
Mental
Health
First
Aid
is
auspiced
at
the
ORYGEN
Research
Centre
at
the
University
of
Melbourne
in
Australia
under
the
direction
of
MHFA
founders
Betty
Kitchener
and
Tony
Jorm.
To
date,
it
has
been
replicated
in
six
other
countries
worldwide,
including
Hong
Kong,
Scotland,
England,
Canada,
Finland,
and
Singapore.
For
more
information
or
to
participate
in
a
Mental
Health
First
Aid
training
in
Santa
Fe
or
anywhere
in
New
Mexico,
call Ernestine Jones or Raymond
Anderson
at
The
Life
Link
Training
Institute
at
505
438
7709.
Life
Link
Training
Institute
is
the
educational
and
training
component
of
The
Life
Link,
the
highly
regarded
not-for-profit
social
service
agency
located
in
Santa
Fe,
New
Mexico.
Since
1987, The
Life
Link has
implemented
successful
evidence-based
behavioral
health
modalities
to
its
client
base
that
suffers
from
homelessness,
mental
illness
and/or
substance
abuse.
In
2003,
The
Life
Link
created
the
LLTI
to
share
is
accumulated
knowledge
and
experience
with
other
social
service
entities.
The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not‐for‐profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,400 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country. The National Council and its members bear testimony to the fact that medical, social, psychological and rehabilitation services offered in community settings help people with mental illnesses and addiction disorders recover and lead productive lives.
