Mental Health First Aid & QPR Training
Join the movement in Santa Barbara County to strengthen our community because we can all be more aware and informed. In 2024, YouthWell & FSA taught 800+ adults and students in Santa Barbara County.
overview
Training empowers teens, parents, educators, first responders, and other caring adults with tools and strategies to create a safe and caring community. The #1 protective factor in youth mental health is a trusted adult. You can be that trusted adult who is trained with skills and knowledge about what to do and what to say. Trainings are hosted by FSA and YouthWell and provided in-person or virtually. (We are happy to provide a quote for teaching virtually or in-person outside Santa Barbara County.)
• PRINT RACK CARD >
• REGISTER or INQUIRE ABOUT A TRAINING, or use the links below to register.
• CONTACT [email protected] for more information.
QPR [Question, Persuade, and Refer ] is a FREE 2-hour suicide prevention training for participants to learn about community resources in Santa Barbara County and be able to recognize the warning signs of suicide - and question, persuade, and refer people to services who are at risk. We customize 1 hour of this course on your groups needs - building active listening skills, practicing and modeling self-care, etc. (2 year certification)
Youth Mental Health First Aid is a FREE 6.5-hour certification course that teaches adults who work or live with youth between the ages of 12-18 how to help someone who may be developing a mental health challenge or coping with a worsening mental health challenge or substance abuse disorder. Participants learn how to recognize, understand, and respond appropriately to signs of mental health challenges of varying intensity, as well as substance use disorders. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. (3 year certification).
Primeros Auxilios para la salud Mental de los Jóvenes es un curso de certificación GRATUITO de 6,5 horas que enseña a adultos que trabajan o viven con jóvenes de entre 12 y 18 años cómo ayudar a alguien que pueda estar desarrollando un problema de salud mental o lidiando con un problema de salud mental que empeora o un trastorno por abuso de sustancias. Los participantes aprenden a reconocer, comprender y responder adecuadamente a los signos de problemas de salud mental de diversa intensidad, así como a los trastornos por uso de sustancias. El curso presenta desafíos comunes de salud mental para los jóvenes, revisa el desarrollo típico de los adolescentes y enseña un plan de acción de cinco pasos sobre cómo ayudar a los jóvenes en situaciones de crisis y no crisis. Los temas cubiertos incluyen ansiedad, depresión, uso de sustancias, trastornos en los que puede ocurrir psicosis, trastornos de conducta disruptiva (incluido el TDA/H) y trastornos alimentarios. (certificación de 3 años). Formación en español disponible. CONSULTA AQUÍ
calendar of trainings
for parents & adults (18+) who work or live with youth between ages of 12-18
UPCOMING TRAININGS IN ENGLISH
DATE: THURS, APR 24 - 9am-2pm x2
LOCATION: California Men's Colony
DATE: MAY x3
LOCATION: Santa Maria Juvenile Hall
DATE: TUES, JUNE 17 - 9am-11am
LOCATION: ZOOM w/ Michelle
DATE: TUES, JUNE 24 - TBD
LOCATION: PRIVATE [Deckers]
DATE: SAT, SEPT 6 - 8:30am-10:30am
LOCATION: ZOOM w/Jatzibe
PAST TRAININGS
DATE: SAT, APR 5
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: MAR 18
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: MAR 19 [SPANISH]
LOCATION: Fitzgerald School
DATE: WED, MAR 5
LOCATION: Fitzgerald School
DATE: FEB 27, 2025
LOCATION: CAUSE 805
DATE: JAN 14, 2025
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: DEC 13, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: NOV 22, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: NOV 20, 2024
LOCATION: Active Minds
DATE: OCT 19, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: JUNE 4, 2024
LOCATION: Decker's Explore Week
DATE: MAY 21, 2024
LOCATION: Zoom
DATE: MAY 3, 2024
LOCATION: Fusion Academy
DATE: APR 16, 2024
LOCATION: SBMS
DATE: APR 9, 2024
LOCATION: Zoom SBCEO
DATE/TIME: APR 3, 2024
LOCATION: Zoom
DATE: JAN 12, 2024
LOCATION: One Community Action
DATE: MAR 6, 2024
LOCATION: Allan Hancock College SM
DATE: OCT 26, 2024
LOCATION: CBB
DATE: AUG 21, 2024
LOCATION: Allan Hancock College SM
for adults who work or live with youth between the ages of 12-18
UPCOMING TRAININGS IN ENGLISH
DATE: TUES, JUNE 10 - 9am-4:00pm
LOCATION: CATE School
DATE: WED, JUNE 18 - 9am - 4:30pm
LOCATION: Amplify Arts Project
para adultos que trabajan o viven con jóvenes de entre 12 y 18 años
PAST TRAININGS
DATE: FRI, JAN 31, 2025
LOCATION: Corazon del Pueblo
DATE: JAN 14, 2025
LOCATION: YouthWell
DATE: NOV 9, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: OCT 11, 2024
LOCATION: SBCEO / Anacapa
DATE: AUG 31, 2024
LOCATION: MICOP (Spanish Training)
DATE: JUNE 14, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM [blended]
DATE: JUNE 11, 2024
LOCATION: IN-PERSON @ CATE School
FECHA: 25, 2024 DE MAYO
UBICACION: One Community Action
DATE: APR 27, 2024
LOCATION: ZOOM
DATE: MAR 4, 2024
LOCATION: AHA Santa Barbara
DATE: MAR 1, 2024
LOCATION: YouthWell Office
DATE: FEB 24, 2024
LOCATION: SMJUHSD
DATE: JAN 26, 2024 - BHI
LOCATION: YouthWell Office
DATE: JAN 8, 2024, 2024
LOCATION: Guadalupe School District
DATE: DEC 20, 2023 ?
LOCATION: One Community Action
teaches teens in grades 9-12 or ages 14-18 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers.
Inquire if you are interested for your class or group of teens.
UPCOMING TRAININGS
DATE: APRIL 11, 18, 25, 2025 [PRIVATE]
LOCATION: Middle College
DATE: APRIL 29 [Open for Registration]
LOCATION: CAUSE 805 Santa Maria • teen QPR
DATE: MAY 29 [PRIVATE]
LOCATION: DPHS • tMHFA
DATE: JUNE 7 [Open for Registration]
LOCATION: YouthWell Office Santa Barbara • tMHFA
DATE: JUNE 14 [Open for Registration]
LOCATION: Santa Maria • tMHFA
DATE: JUNE 16 [Open for Registration]
LOCATION: ZOOM teen QPR
DATE: JUNE 23 [PRIVATE]
LOCATION: ZOOM• tMHFA
DATE: SEPT 6 [Open for Registration]
LOCATION: ZOOM • tMHFA
PAST TRAININGS
DATE: APRIL
LOCATION: San Marcos High School
DATE: MAR 26
LOCATION: Fitzgerald School
DATE: MAR 27
LOCATION: Fitzgerald School
DATE: FEB 1, 2025
LOCATION: North County Youth Advisory Board & Partnering Organizations
DATE: JAN 24, 2025
LOCATION: SMJUHSD
DATE: JAN 20, 2025
LOCATION: Countywide ZOOM
DATE: JAN 5, 2025
LOCATION: South County Youth Advisory Board & Partnering Organizations
DATE: NOV 2024
LOCATION: Health Careers Academy
DATE: NOV 2024
LOCATION: Santa Barbara High School
DATE: MAY 30 2024
LOCATION: Dos Pueblos High School
DATE: MAY 2024
LOCATION: CATE School
DATE: APR 2024
LOCATION: SYV People Helping People
DATE: JAN 2024
LOCATION: San Marcos High School, Health Careers Academy
DATE: NOV 2024
LOCATION: Midland Charter School
DATE: NOV 2024
LOCATION: Santa Barbara High School Health Class
DATE: OCT
LOCATION: Youth Advisory Board
mental health first aid
Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid [MHFA] helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.
YOUTH Mental Health First Aid [Y-MHFA]is a comprehensive training designed to equip educators, family members, and caregivers (18 years or older) with the skills and knowledge to identify, understand, and respond to the signs or risk factors of youth mental illness and substance use disorders. The 6.5 hour training can be done via Zoom or in-person. Upon completion, you will be certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
TEEN Mental Health First Aid [tMHFA] teaches high school students (10th-12th grade) about common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental health and help a friend who is struggling. It’s equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to foster their own wellness and to support each other.
ADULT Mental Health First Aid is for 18 years and older. Hosted by the Mental Wellness Center >
REGISTER: Youth Mental Health First Aid is FREE and is offered monthly throughout Santa Barbara County. SIGN UP > Let us know if you would like to coordinate a private class for 20 people to train in your organization, church, or group. The course is available in English and Spanish. CONTACT [email protected]
View YouthWell Community Calendar or BeTheDifferenceSB.org for upcoming classes.
QPR training
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. QPR is a suicide prevention training for participants to be able to recognize the warning signs of suicide and question, persuade, and refer people at risk for suicide for help. QPR can be learned in as little as one hour and you will receive a certificate that is active for 2 years.
Gatekeepers trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying "Yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor.
Gatekeepers can be anyone, but include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide.
As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to:
- Recognize the warning signs of suicide
- Know how to offer hope
- Know how to get help and save a life
REGISTER: QPR is FREE and is offered monthly throughout Santa Barbara County. SIGN UP > Let us know if you would like to coordinate a private class for 20 people to train in your organization, church, or group. The course is available in English and Spanish. CONTACT [email protected]
View YouthWell Community Calendar or BeTheDifferenceSB.org for upcoming classes.
Thank you!
Through a SAMHSA grant, Family Service Agency (FSA) and YouthWell are able to provide more community education around mental health as a way to support youth in our community.