Supporting Mental Health First Aid Training in Jeffco

The Lutheran Legacy Fund recently funded a three-year $1.7 million initiative to improve community access to mental health resources in Jefferson County. Seven organizations received grants over three years to launch and implement a training strategy. They used Mental Health First Aid and other “gatekeeper” approaches to train community members in schools, churches, civic groups, workplaces and other locations to identify persons who may benefit from mental health resources. Ten staff members from seven grantee organizations were certified to conduct Mental Health First Aid training and trained more than 1,500 people. Grant recipients included The Action Center, HealthSET, Jeffco Public Schools, Jefferson County Public Health, Metro Community Provider Network, Seniors’ Resource Center and the Visiting Nurse Association.

After the close of the three-year grant, an additional $250,000 from the Lutheran Legacy Fund is being awarded to support the expansion of Mental Health First Aid in Jeffco by forming a collaborative of trainers.