In 2001, Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm developed the Mental Health First Aid Training and Research Program in Australia, with the vision of creating "an empowered community providing support to one another in times of mental health problems and mental health crisis."

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       Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.  This gives community members, friends, coaches and teachers an opportunity to better understand what mental health is, what some of the common diagnosis are and how to respond when someone might be experiencing a crisis.  The training helps to reduce the misconception many people may have about mental health, which is meaningful in the way that is gives individuals in our communities the skills to handle a crisis in a way that feels nonjudgmental, safe, and inspires hope to those involved.

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Valley Heights, Centralia and Frankfort's 7th - 12th grade staff participated in this training.