Education, Training, and Outreach

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a 16-hour/two-day workshop designed for all community members. This training will enhance a person’s ability to assist a person at risk of suicide.

Who Should Attend/Open to:
All community members 16 years of age or older.

DBH’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program provides behavioral health education and training for first responders and community partners on how to appropriately respond to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis and provides communication and de-escalation skills and community resources and referrals.

For more information, call (909) 386-8258 or email DBH-CITRAIN@dbh.sbcounty.gov.

How Being Trauma Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses is a four-hour training program for criminal justice professionals to

• Increase understanding of trauma
• Create an awareness of the impact of trauma on behavior
• Develop trauma-informed responses

Trauma-informed criminal justice responses can help to avoid retraumatizing individuals and thereby increase safety for all, decrease recidivism, and promote and support recovery of justice-involved women and men. Partnerships across systems can also help to link individuals to trauma-informed services and treatment for trauma.

Who Should Attend/Open to:
Training is tailored to criminal justice professionals, including community corrections (probation, parole, and pre-trial service officers) court personnel, police, and service providers who work with justice-involved populations.

The LEAP Course is a four-hour facilitator led training workshop designed to provide participants the critical research and skillset required to create a therapeutic alliance and build a collaborative relationship with persons who have severe mental illness, that lead to the acceptance of treatment and services.

Who Should Attend/Open to:
All community members 18 years of age or older.

Mental health First Aid is an eight (8) hour course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in adults. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

Who Should Attend/Open to:
All community members 18 years of age or older.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a six and a half (6.5) hour course that teaches you how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. 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.

Who Should Attend/Open to:
All community members 18 years of age or older who regularly interact with youth.

SafeTALK: suicide alertness for everyone, is a three-hour training that prepares participants to recognize and support a person with thoughts of suicide. Participants will become a: “safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper.”

Who Should Attend/Open to:
All community members 16 years of age or older

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) is pleased to offer multicultural education, training, and assistance in the development of linguistically and culturally appropriate trainings. Duration of the training/presentation will vary according to topic(s).

Who Should Attend/Open to:
Members of the community (Youth/Adults) staff, contract providers, and collaborative partners.

To learn more about training opportunities or to request assistance email OEI at cultural_competency@dbh.sbcounty.gov.

DBH may assist in facilitating specialized training and presentations in the community. Duration of the training/presentation is dependent on topics to be covered. Trainings may be customized to meet the community and/or agencies requests.

 Non-certified training/presentation topics include:

• Behavioral Health Overview – understanding mental health, mental health disorders and substance use disorders.
• Behavioral Health Resources – an overview of the DBH’s services and programs.  Understanding how to get connected to crisis services, behavioral health treatment providers, and other community supports.
• Communication and Crisis De-escalation – an overview of what is a behavioral health crisis, understanding the crisis cycle, communication considerations, and strategies to practice during a behavioral health crisis that may assist in de-escalation.
• Naloxone (Narcan) – an overview of the Opioid/Fentanyl crisis in our communities. The availability of harm reduction resources and the training and dissemination of the Naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray.
• Stigma/Stigma Reduction – understanding stigma around behavioral health, cultural considerations, consequences, and strategies to combat stigma.
• Self-care/Wellness – an introduction to wellness and self-care with exploration into self-care strategies.
• Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services– an overview of the SUDRS services and programs, understanding how to get connected to crisis intervention services, treatment providers, and other community resources.
• Suicide Awareness Presentation – an instruction to suicide awareness and prevention.

Who should attend/Open to:

Members of the community (Youth/Adults), staff, contract providers, and collaborative partners. 

To register for one of our community trainings, please click on Events to view all upcoming training opportunities.

If your group and agency would like to host or facilitate a training for your agency or the community, please complete the Community Education Program Training Request Form/ Formulario de solicitud de capacitación para el programa de educación comunitaria.

For more information on community educational opportunities please contact the Community Education Program by email at dbhceptraining@dbh.sbcounty.gov or phone at (909) 386-8258.