Community Education
What is Community Education?
The Community Education program educates and informs the community on aspects of mental health and mental illness to help reduce the stigma and fear of mental illness. Evidence-based trainings are also offered to parents and guardians, educators, school staff and administrators, community partners, and anyone looking for a better understanding of mental health and wellness. We also offer trainings that can give participants the skills needed to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis. Current programs include: Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health and Wellness 101 and Wellness Recovery Action Plan®. We also offer customized wellness topics and presentations to meet the needs of your organization.
For more information including registration fees, upcoming course dates or to arrange a training for your group or organization, contact Melanie Little, Director of Education at mlittle@mhaedu.org or call 607-273-9250.
Partial need-based scholarships may be available.
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a comprehensive course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. This course entails a 2-hour self-paced introduction module online, with a 7 hour seated component for Adult MHFA, or a 5-hour seated component for Youth MHFA. Our registration fee is $80/person, partial need-based scholarships may be available depending on current funding.
Mental Health First Aid USA is coordinated by the National Council for Behavioral Health, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health — who certify instructors to deliver the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid course in your community.
To pay for registration, please click "Pay Now" below.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS 101
Mental Health and Wellness 101 is a foundational, 90-minute training that provides participants with a basic knowledge of mental health, wellness and recovery in an effort to reduce stigma. This training presents mental health as a continuum of wellness and an integral part of our overall health and encourages treatment seeking behavior and self-care to manage stress.
Mental Health and Wellness 101 is for everyone – parents and guardians, educators, school staff and administrators, community partners, and anyone looking for a better understanding of mental health and wellness.
Mental Health and Wellness 101 is currently available as a virtual training.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan®
Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland and others with lived experience of mental health recovery, Wellness Recovery Action Plan, or WRAP, is rooted in ideas of self-determination, empowerment, and hope. It is a plan that YOU create to support your mental health journey, stay well, and prevent crisis situations. Wrap is:
delivered through a peer group so we can learn from and support each other.
led by trained peer facilitators who have developed and practice their own WRAP plans.
not a replacement for other mental health treatments but a tool that puts YOU in the driver’s seat of your wellness and recovery.
Wellness Topics and Presentations
MHATC staff are available to provide customized presentations to groups pertaining to mental health. Current topics include:
Mental Health Issues: Why they happen, When to Ask for Help, and How to Create Your Support System
Exploring Your Wellness Toolbox
Supporting Youth Mental Health
Introduction to Wellness Recovery Action Plan®
Responding to College Students in Mental Distress
Taking Care of You When Your Job is to Care for Others
We are happy to design programs that meet your group's needs and interests!