Mental Health Training

The Anti-Drug Coalition is focused on complete Prevention efforts, including those initiatives that support bringing awareness to mental health issues.  In Citrus County, we are working toward offering periodic trainings locally that support this, such as Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid. 

Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training course designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as CPR training helps a layperson without medical training assist an individual experiencing a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training helps a layperson assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis.  Learning these key skills will give the average person who is not a licensed mental health counselor some tools to help recognize an individual that may need help. 

​Learning Objectives

The evidence behind Mental Health First Aid demonstrates that it makes people feel more comfortable managing a crisis situation and builds mental health literacy — helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. Specifically, studies found that those who were trained in Mental Health First Aid have greater confidence in providing help to others, greater likelihood of advising people to seek professional help, improved concordance with health professionals about treatments, and decreased stigmatizing attitudes.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a similar course but specifically geared to help youth leaders, teachers, pastors, mentors, and others recognize the signs of an adolescent that may be in a mental health crisis.

For information on upcoming trainings, please contact the Anti-Drug Coalition at 352-601-6620.