Training public service professionals is key to raising awareness of mental health issues and developing appropriate responses to assist individuals experiencing mental health crises. Paired with coordinated treatment and referral infrastructure, gains can be achieved in reducing the individual and public burden of mental illness and emotional distress. Given the national rates of serious mental illness, substance use disorders, suicide, and other indicators of health, combined with well-known gaps in treatment access, there is a clear need for systematic evidence-based programs to improve the capacity of the public service sector to respond. The purpose of Aware-Houston is to implement a community-wide mental health awareness training program for healthcare providers, first responders (firefighters/Emergency Medical Services professionals), and school personnel in a variety of settings throughout the Greater Houston area. The project will also provide training and disseminate awareness materials to the general public through its collaboration with the Tejano Center for Community Concerns (TCCC). This project will leverage the collective expertise within the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Department of Family & Community Medicine and a coalition of community partners, including Harris Health System, Baylor Family Medicine, the VA Medical Center Women's Health Program, San Jose Clinic, and the City of Houston Fire Department to increase mental health awareness and knowledge and skills related to de-escalation strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The project's overarching goal is to: Increase the capacity of healthcare professionals, first responders, and school personnel in identifying and responding to individuals experiencing mental illness, particularly those with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or severe emotional disturbance (SED) and will be accomplished through the following objectives: (1) By June 1, 2019, the project team will develop and begin implementing an evidence-based training curriculum based on the Mental Health First Aid (MFHA) course; (2) By March 1, 2019, the project team will develop a training plan for online, in-person, and conference style training sessions targeting high yield audiences via community outreach and advisory network and building a train the trainer network; (3) Develop a practical guidebook (and other print materials) for trainers and trainees to reinforce training and serve as a standalone resource for identifying and responding to SMI/SED, crisis de-escalation techniques, and reducing mental health stigma in the public sphere; (4) Develop and disseminate an annually updated local/regional resource listing of service providers; (5) Collaborate with community partners to develop a mechanism for referral tracking and; (6) Assemble an advisory group of local, regional, and national experts and leaders in mental health and target audience fields, including key stakeholder representatives. The project will serve approximately 1,000 unduplicated individuals per year and a total of 3,000 during the entire project period. In addition to providing training to staff of the participating organizations, the project will also develop print materials and provide training to the general public in the East End neighborhood of Houston.