The BestSelf Mental Health First Aid Community Training Project, will provide the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), and Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) to community members in Erie and Niagara Counties in New York State.
Once trained, community members will have the knowledge, skills, and resources to identify mental health issues and connect individuals with the care they need. The population of focus for which the trainings are intended to help include: Adults 18 and over, experiencing a behavioral health challenge including those with serious mental illness (SMI), children ages 12-18 experiencing a behavioral health challenge, including those with a serious emotional disturbance (SED), a co-occurring disorder (COD), those who may be at increased risk of behavioral health issues such as those living in poverty, and those experiencing a crisis. The project will meet the following goals and objectives:
Goal 1: Expand availability and accessibility of MHFA Training in Erie and Niagara Counties
Objective 1a: By September 2026, 1,080 unique individuals will be trained in MHFA
Objective 1b: Of the 1,080 individuals trained in MHFA, 80% will show an increase in mental health awareness and resources
Goal 2: Expand availability and accessibility of YMHFA Training in Erie and Niagara Counties
Objective 2a: By September 2026, 1,080 unique individuals will be trained in YMHFA
Objective 2b: Of the 1,080 individuals trained in YMHFA, 80% will show an increase in youth mental health awareness and resources
Goal 3: Expand availability and accessibility of tMHFA Training in Erie and Niagara Counties
Objective 3a: By September 2026, 1,000 students in 10-12 grade will be trained in tMHFA
Objective 3b: Of the 1,000 students trained in tMHFA, 80% will show an increase in mental health awareness and resources.
Goal 4: Provide additional mental health, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed trainings for school personnel from BestSelf’s menu of school-based trainings.
Objective 4a: By September 2026, 500 school personnel from the schools trained in YMHFA and tMHFA will also be trained in at least one additional training.
Objective 4b: Of the 500 school personnel trained, 80% will indicate that the training was worthwhile and relevant to their role.
Number of Unduplicated Individuals to be Trained with Grant Funds
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total
660 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 4,740