1. health and fitness

Mental Health First Aid for
Community Health Centers:
Why Mental Health Matters in
Primary Care
Presented by:
Kenneth Myers, LMSW, Care Coordinator, The Institute for
Family Health, Family Health Center of Harlem
Rebecca Green, LMSW, Regional Director of HIV Programs,
The Institute for Family Health
Presenting Questions:
® What is MHFA?
® How can MHFA be used as a tool
in Integrated Health Care?
® How can I access MHFA training?
What Is Mental Health First Aid?
An evidenced-based, public
education program that helps nonmental health providers identify,
understand, and respond to signs of
mental illnesses and substance use
disorders.
What Is Mental Health First Aid?
® Early identification and intervention
for mental illness
® The help provided to a person
developing a mental health problem
or experiencing a crisis until
professional treatment is received or
the crisis resolves.
A Collaborative
Partnership
NATIONAL COUNCIL
for Community Behavioral
Healthcare
Maryland State Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene
Missouri Department of Mental
Health
Program Origins
® Created in Australia in 2001
® Auspiced at the University of Melbourne
® Expanded to 17 countries, including
Scotland, China, Canada, Finland,
Singapore, Ireland, Wales, England,
Cambodia, Japan, South Africa,
Thailand and New Zealand.
® Started in the U.S. in 2008
What You Learn
® Overview of mental health problems
Depressive/Mood disorders
„ Anxiety disorders
„ Disorders in which psychosis occurs
„ Substance use disorders
® Mental Health First Aid for crisis situations
® Mental Health First Aid for non-crisis
situations
„
How it Works
Training Components
® 8-hour community program offered by
instructors
® 5-day instructor certification training
offered by the National Council, Missouri
Department of Mental Health, and
Maryland Department of Health & Mental
Hygiene
Diverse Curriculums
® Youth Mental Health First Aid
„
„
1000+ Youth Instructors in the US
5000+ Trained in Youth MHFA
® Rural Mental Health First Aid
® Mental Health First Aid for Law
Enforcement
Potential Audiences
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Hospitals and health centers
Employers
Faith communities
Schools/universities
Law enforcement/first responders
Nursing home staff
Consumers, families and caring citizens
Mental health authorities
Policymakers
Evidenced Effectiveness
® Four published randomized control trials
and a qualitative study (in Australia)
„ Increases mental health literacy
„ Expands individuals’ knowledge of how
to help someone in crisis
„ Connects individuals to needed
services
„ Reduces stigma
An Effective US Intervention
® Recently added to SAMHSA’s National
Registry of Evidenced-Based Programs
and Practices (NREPP)
® More US-based research in the works to
produce even more outcome data
® Endorsed by President Obama in GunControl Legislation
® Possible federal funding for MHFA
By the Numbers: 2008-2013
® 125,000+ Mental Health First Aiders
„
2,514+ in New York State
® 3,700+ instructors certified
„
71+ instructors in New York State
® 45 states, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico
Our Experience As Instructors
® Trained 50+ Institute for Family Health (IFH)
®
®
®
®
staff and community members since 2012
Response has been extremely positive
IFH leadership supports MHFA as an
effective integration tool
IFH Family Health Center of Harlem all-staff
training
It works!
IFH Staff Are Saying . . .
® “Get quote from Miguel”
HIV Case Manager
® “Get quote from Nora”
Counseling Center Front Desk Staff
IFH Staff Are Saying . . .
® “Just weeks after attending the training,
I’ve already used the skills I learned in
Mental Health First Aid…”
Another IFH Employee
® “I think any professionals who deal with
people should take this course, especially
emergency personnel, teachers, . . .”
Another IFH Employee
Vision
By 2020, Mental Health
First Aid in the USA will
be as common as CPR
and First Aid.
Integrated Health Care
Primary
Care
Behavioral
Health
The systematic coordination of
general and behavioral
healthcare
Integrated Health Care
„
Accountable Care Organizations
(ACOs)
„
Patient Centered Medical Homes
(PCMHs)
„
Health Homes
SAMHSA Recommendation
® “Integrating mental health, substance abuse,
and primary care services produces the best
outcomes and proves the most effective
approach to caring for people with multiple
healthcare needs.”
MHFA As An Integration Tool
® Increase awareness of Mental Health and
®
®
®
®
Substance Use problems among staff
Reduce stigma
Bridge the gap
Adapt to changing landscape of health care
Enhance patient experiences
MHFA As An Integration Tool
® Mental Health First Aid trains individuals to help a
person developing or living with a behavioral health
problem until appropriate treatment and supports are
received. Many primary care professionals, including
physicians, medical assistants, nurses, front desk staff
and others, around the country have been trained in
Mental Health First Aid already, and many more will be
as CIHS offers more programs tailored to the primary
care setting
-SAMHSA Center for Integrated Healthcare Solutions
MHFA As An Integration Tool
® Unfortunately, Americans commonly experience a long
delay between the onset of a behavioral problem and
receiving treatment; the longer the delay, the more
difficult recovery becomes. Primary care professionals
are positioned to help people get the support they need
during this time, and people are more inclined to seek
specialty behavioral healthcare if their physician
suggests it. If a person presents behavioral health signs
and symptoms during a primary care visit, Mental
Health First Aid improves identification and ensures
appropriate intervention until a person receives
specialty treatment.
-SAMHSA Center for Integrated Healthcare Solutions
MHFA As An Integration Tool:
Outcomes
® Increased sensitivity with patients, smoother flow of
integration, and better recognition of symptoms.
® Underscores the role of behavioral health in the
healthcare system, reduces discrimination, makes
healthcare more user friendly, and therefore more
accessible, and increases referrals.
® Increased awareness has increased the likelihood of
clients following up for behavioral health problems after a
referral.
-Results from implementation of MHFA at the Alaska Island
Community Services (AICS) Community Health Center
Let’s take a
look at the
course!
MHFA Course
MHFA Course
MHFA Course
MHFA Course
Accessing MHFA Training
Listing of local trainers at
mentalhealthfirstaid.org
Contact Us!
Ken Myers, LMSW:
kmyers@institute2000.org
Rebecca Green, LMSW:
rgreen@institute2000.org
For More Information
www.MentalHealthFirstAid.org
info@mentalhealthfirstaid.org
202.684.7457
Thank You!