Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) - Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems will implement the Florida Behavioral Health Workforce Collaborative across its 23-county behavioral health region in Northeast and North Central Florida, serving 4,626,880 residents. The project will build the capacity of school personnel, first responders, healthcare and behavioral health professionals, community health workers, peer and recovery support professionals, veterans and military-serving personnel, child welfare and criminal justice staff, faith leaders, employers, families, caregivers, and other community members to recognize mental health concerns, respond safely, and connect individuals to services. LSFHS will provide Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, Refer, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Counseling on Access to Lethal Means, verbal de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and behavioral health resource navigation. Over 3 years, FBHWC will train 1,800 participants, achieve a 20% increase in knowledge and 90% satisfaction, ensure 90% report increased confidence, and ensure 80% of follow-up respondents report at least 1 practice change within 6 months. The project will also establish a Behavioral Health Community Health Worker learning pathway, develop county-specific resource guides and standardized referral tools, formalize partnerships with licensed community mental health providers, conduct outreach, and implement quarterly Behavioral Health Project ECHO sessions.
