June 27, 2023 – Using grant funding, Santa Fe College is pleased to offer a train-the-trainer opportunity for Mental Health First Aid. This three-day (24-hour) professional development experience will certify eight SF staff/faculty members to deliver the Mental Health First Aid Training at the college. As we focus on continuous improvement, service excellence, and campus safety in an environment where many people are experiencing mental health issues or problems, this project will equip a larger pool of our college community with the tools needed to safely intervene and make appropriate referrals.
Selected trainees will engage in required pre-class work, and then depart Gainesville on Sunday, Sept. 24, to travel to an off-site training facility. The very intensive professional development opportunity will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 through Wednesday, Sept. 27. The cohort will return to Gainesville Wednesday evening.
Once back on campus, each certified trainer must offer one eight-hour, on-campus training in fall 2023 and one eight-hour, on-campus training in spring 2024. Trainers who complete these requirements will be provided with a one-time supplement. To maintain the national certification as a Mental Health First Aid Trainer, all trainers will need to teach at least one Mental Health First Aid course each year after.
Any SF staff/faculty member who 1) has completed the on-campus Mental Health First Aid training and 2) has support from their supervisors to become a trainer is eligible to apply for this opportunity.
To apply to be a trainer for Mental Health First Aid, please send an email to naima.brown@sfcollege.edu with:
- An essay (500-1000 words) on why you would like to be a Mental Health First Aid Trainer
- A recommendation from your current supervisor documenting support for you engaging in this professional development/college service experience.
All submissions are due by Friday, August 4, 2023.