Summary. The Mental Health Awareness Training Program, led by the Hinds Mental Health Commission with 50 years of proven experience, will serve adults residing in Region 9, a geographic catchment area comprised of Hinds County, a medically underserved county in Mississippi where there is a high concentration of behavioral health issues, including Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and/or Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), and existing behavioral health disparities. Name: Hinds Mental Health Awareness Training Program. Individuals Trained: Law enforcement, military recruiters, veterans and their families, National Guard, first responders, university students, primary care physicians, faith-based organizations, school personnel and the general public. Population of focus Adults (referred by mental health first aiders) 18 years of age and older with mental disorders, SMI; 39% female; 59% male; 1% transgender; 66% African American, 3% Hispanic/Latino 11% Multi-Racial; 29% White (non-Hispanic); 2% LGB; 75% trauma-involved; 60% Co-occurring Disorders and 1% HIV and/or viral hepatitis positive. Goal: Address existing behavioral health disparities by promoting mental health awareness trainings, decreasing stigma, expanding workforce training capacity resulting in expanded access and availability of trauma-informed, culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services. Strategies: Use the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), MHFA for Public Safety, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and Youth Mental Health First Aid training programs to certify MHFA instructors and implement MHFA trainings to: prepare mental health first aiders to appropriately and safely respond to adults with mental health disorders by utilizing de-escalation techniques; establish linkages with community-based mental health and refer adults with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to mental health services; develop and launch a training plan and social media campaign aimed at decreasing stigma; disseminate mental health awareness education and resource guides; convene an interagency advisory team representative of the communities served supporting strategies aimed at early identification, stigma reduction, and referrals to mental health services. Objectives: Of the 25 individuals trained/certified annually as MHFA Instructors, 80% will facilitate at least one (1) training in the year following their certification as an instructor; 100 participants will be trained each year and 90% will successfully complete the program; at least 85% of the adults trained will self-report an increase in adult mental health literacy, as measured by pre- and post-surveys; 85% of interagency advisory team members will attend 90% of leadership meetings; and increase the number of adult behavioral health referrals by at least 10%. Numbers served: 25 individuals will be trained/certified as MHFA instructors, totaling 125 in 5-years; 100 individuals will be trained as mental health first aiders, totaling 500 in 5-years; screen/assess 100 individuals referred by mental health first aiders, totaling 500 in 5-years.