Mental Health 

BACHAC has offered a series of mental health programs over the years at both the Men’s Health Symposium and Women’s Health Initiative Conferences. In 2014, BACHAC will partner with San Mateo County and a local, community-based organization to offer a Mental Health First Aid Training for lay persons, which helps identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Mental Health First Aid is an interactive 8-hour course overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the United States. It introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and reviews common treatments. Those who take the 12-hour course to certify as Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.