The National Council for Behavioral Health held briefings for House and Senate staff in conjunction with the launch of a new training initiative, Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety Officers July 16. Senators Kelly Ayotte (NH) and Mark Begich (AK) will host the briefing for Senate staff and Representatives Lynn Jenkins (KS) and Ron Barber (AZ) will host the briefing for House staff. The congressional hosts are also the lead cosponsors of Mental Health First Aid Act of 2013 and they will be joined by leaders from law enforcement, corrections and academic organizations in addition to mental health leaders.
Mental Health First Aid is taught to police, first responders, corrections officers and other public safety professionals, helping them better understand mental illnesses and providing them with effective response options to deescalate incidents without compromising safety. Approximately 10,000 public safety professionals have taken the original Mental Health First Aid course.
For more details, go to www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
