Be The Change ? Providing Mental Health First Aid to First Responders, Educators, Veterans, and the Citizens of Eastern Washington. - Be the Change is an initiative to train citizens in rural counties of eastern Washington to be the bridge between a client, student, colleague, friend or family member who is suffering from a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and the care that they need. Be the Change leverages Mental Health First Aid, an evidence-based practice, in training all citizens to identify and assess mental illness. Be the Change will teach 2650 residents of eastern Washington per year, with a total of 7950 residents trained within the three-year grant period. The population of focus is all citizens, with an emphasis on school-based personnel (teachers, administrators, resource officers, etc.), first responders (police, fire, EMT), and veterans, veteran-serving organizations, and families of veterans. According to a report issued by SAMHSA in 2015, 226,000 adults in Washington state had serious thoughts of suicide, and 232,000 had a serious mental illness within a year prior to being surveyed (survey year 2013-2014). Of these, only 44.4% received mental health treatment or counseling. Goal 1: Increase the capacity of school personnel to identify and address mental health issues before they become emergencies. Goal 1, Objective 1: By September 2021, 50% of teachers and relevant school personnel in the catchment area will be trained in Mental Health First Aid. Goal 2: Increase the capacity of first responders to serve as a bridge between citizens in need of mental health services and the services available. Goal 2, Objective 1: By September 2021, 25% of law enforcement and emergency services personnel in the catchment area will be trained in Mental Health First Aid. Goal 2, Objective 2: By the end of this project, 75% of law enforcement and emergency services personnel in the catchment area will carry a card that lists the mental health resources available in their area.
Goal 3: Increase the capacity of rural communities to “care for their own” by providing education, resource cards, and referrals. Goal 2, Objective 1: By September 2021, all citizens in the catchment area requesting Mental Health First Aid training through this project will receive training.
