Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. It equips individuals to assist people experiencing mental health crises such as contemplating suicide. The program is typically 8 hours long, but in light of COVID-19, shortened virtual modules will be made available soon. MHFA is relevant both to professionals who come into contact with behavioral health needs (e.g. primary care, law enforcement, detention officers, etc.) and community members. MHFA has a youth-specific program as well, Youth Mental Health First Aid.
ASIST prepares individuals to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing skilled interventions, and developing safety plans. The course is traditionally taught in-person over two days, but in light of COVID-19, LivingWorks has created an abbreviated online “Start” program that teaches the basics of suicide intervention.
QPR trains individuals to become “gatekeepers,” or individuals who know how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope, and know how to get help and save a life. The course can take as little as 2 hours.
For more information, contact Karl Rosston, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, at Krosston@mt.gov or 406-444-3349
CIT is a model for community partnership and police-based crisis intervention. CIT communities work to ensure that persons with behavioral health needs who come in contact with law enforcement are treated with dignity and diverted from the criminal justice system to medical treatment whenever possible. The program seeks to improve the safety of both officers and behavioral health consumers. Training for officers is conducted over a week (40 hours).
