Project AWARE Comes to an End | |
As Project AWARE comes to an end May 1st, we are taking time to celebrate the teen MHFA team who delivered tMHFA to over 5000 students across Ohio at 30 high schools in a short 14 months at a pace and scale that required flexibility, creativity, and much collaboration. From packed classrooms to last‑minute reschedules, weather delays, shipping surprises, and a whole lot of teamwork, this project showed what is possible when a team of special people stay focused on one goal: making sure young people had the skills to support themselves and their peers.
While we’ll have the final report highlights in next month’s newsletter, this month we want to take a moment to recognize four special individuals whose roles under Project AWARE are ending, but whose impact and involvement will continue (and hopefully expand again!) as we get more funding:
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Jessica Wright
Jessica has been an incredible asset to our MHFA work. Since joining us in 2023, she has served as an instructor in Youth, Teen, and Adult Mental Health First Aid, consistently earning rave reviews from learners. She started as an Adult MHFA Coordinator, and when that project ended, she transitioned into Teen MHFA at a time when the work was complex and fast‑paced. The level of juggling required across programs, schedules, instructors, and schools was no small task, and quite honestly, we do not think anyone else could have managed all of those moving pieces the way she did. We are deeply grateful for the impact Jessica has had on our MHFA Collaborative community and are excited to see how she continues to impact all of us.
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Jess Bressler
Jess Bressler was hired specifically to lead Project AWARE, and over the course of her one year with us, she did exactly that. She brought a strong commitment to collaboration and was the kind of leader who made complex work feel manageable. She was willing to step in wherever needed and her attention to communication helped keep everyone on the same page. She is gifted in organizational skills which kept logistics moving. In addition to leading the project, Jess is also a much sought after Youth and Teen MHFA instructor who plans to continue teaching with us hopefully for a very long time.
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Lisa Carter
Lisa is the expert we all turn to. She piloted our very first Teen MHFA project with the Hamilton County Commissioners in 2022 and went on to lead the Millstone Fund project that will help shape all future teen projects. Lisa teaches across all three MHFA curricula, and her depth of experience made her a natural choice to serve as our teen Instructor Support Specialist for our 30+ teen instructors. Every conversation with Lisa left us wiser and more confident in our work. She has a rare ability to share hard‑earned wisdom in a way that is practical, thoughtful, and encouraging. Lisa will continue teaching for us and providing teen instructor support on a limited basis, and we are hopeful of bringing her back for more hours as funding allows. Her influence on this program has been lasting, and we are better for it.
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Kathy Oberlin
Kathy has been part of the MHFA story since 2015, when the program was first started to spread in the United States. Kathy has coordinated thousands of Youth MHFA classes over the years. During Project AWARE, she expanded her skills to become a teen coordinator, and we are grateful for her experience and calm leadership. Kathy is also incredibly well connected and widely respected, and chances are if someone has been involved in MHFA for any length of time, they know Kathy. She is also the creative designer behind this newsletter and will thankfully continue in that role. Kathy, having seen the ups and downs of funding cycles throughout her career, is quick to remind us that funding often comes back around and her encouraging words mean a great deal.
| | Project AWARE may be ending, but the community it has helped build will continue thanks to these four special people. If you share our gratitude, please share your own message of thanks and we’ll be sure to pass it on. | |
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Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card by Joining Our Scavenger Hunt
We’re excited to announce that we’ve recently updated the Resources for Mental Health First Aiders App to include a brand-new section dedicated to Suicide-Specific Supports both for prevention and postvention. To access the new material, you’ll need to download the app again.
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And to encourage everyone to update their app, we’re hosting a scavenger hunt this month! The winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
Here’s how to participate: Search for And to encourage everyone to update their app, we’re hosting a scavenger hunt this month! The winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. answers to the scavenger hunt within the app and submit your responses using the provided form. We’ll randomly draw a winner from the entries with the correct answers and announce the winner in next month’s newsletter.
In addition to the new suicide-specific supports, we’ve also added a variety of resources in other sections of the app. We’d love your input on additional resources that could enhance our offerings, making it easier to assist those in need.
| | | | Where Did My Certificate Go? And Other MHFA Mysteries Solved | | |
If you have ever finished your MHFA class, felt proud, and then immediately wondered where your certificate went, you are not alone. To save you time and a few extra emails, we are answering the three MHFA questions we get asked the most, all in one place:
How do I find my MHFA certificate?
Start by logging into the MHFA First Aider Portal at https://connect.mentalhealthfirstaid.org. After signing in with the username and password you created when registering for your course, open your Dashboard and select My Courses. Locate the MHFA class you completed. Certificates become available only after all required components are complete, including both the online module and the instructor‑led session. All items must show green checkmarks. Once complete, click the Download link next to the course to save your certificate as a PDF. If your certificate does not appear, confirm that both parts of the course are complete, refresh the page, or log out and log back in.
My three years of certification are up. How do I get recertified without taking the class over again?
Go to the Storefront using the same email you originally used for certification. If needed, use the Forgot Password option. If your email is not recognized, select Create Account and use the same email from your original certification so your history links correctly. Once logged in, select First Aider Recertification from the top navigation menu and complete the purchase. The course typically costs between $29.95 and $30.95 depending on the platform. After purchase, log in to the MHFA Connect portal at https://connect.mentalhealthfirstaid.org using the same email. The recertification course will appear on your dashboard under Enrolled Courses. The course is fully online, takes less than 60 minutes, and must be completed in full. When finished, your new certificate will be available for download directly from your dashboard.
How do I find my online MHFA participant manual?
If you have not looked at your MHFA manual since the training wrapped up, this is your friendly reminder that it is one of the most valuable tools you have. Think of it as your MHFA cheat sheet for real life.
To access the online version, sign in at https://connect.mentalhealthfirstaid.org using the email you used to register for the course. Open your Dashboard and select Completed Courses. Click the course title shown in orange. Inside the course, select the Content tab at the top of the page, next to Details. The MHFA Participant Manual is located under the Live Instruction section and can be downloaded directly for your use. If you have trouble locating the manual, ensure the course is marked complete and that you are logged in with the correct email associated with your registration.
If you run into any issues, submit a help ticket through the Mental Health First Aid Help Center.
We are grateful you are part of this work, and we will continue to answer your questions every step of the way!
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Turning teen MHFA Lessons
into Creative Expression
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This spring, students in Ms. Sandra Ramey’s Diamond Oaks Digital Arts class were invited to translate the mental health concepts they learned through Teen Mental Health First Aid into visual form. The tMHFA class was taught by Ronnie Gladden, our OSU social work intern, who received permission to share the students’ names and artwork with us.
Featured pieces include Aiden Whaley’s “Going at My Own Pace Is OK,” Izabella Stoner’s works “Your Mental Health” and “Lover/Loser,” Melina Morris’s hand‑drawn “Fossil/Heart,” and Kassidy Price’s thoughtful piece, “Nobody’s Purrfect.”
Have you used tMHFA to enhance your classroom curriculum, like Ms. Ramey? We would love to feature your work in our newsletter, so please tell us about it.
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"This is Why We Do This": Recent Feedback from 2 Teen MHFA Classes | |
Feedback from school partners continues to show how students are applying what they learn in tMHFA. At one school, a teacher shared that a student was able to support a friend who was struggling after completing the training. As the teacher noted, “The student handled it the best way possible and knew exactly what to do.”
In another school, a student requested immediate help on an exit ticket. Following established protocol, the teacher brought the concern to a school counselor, who met with the student, completed a suicide risk assessment, and ensured the student was hospitalized and receiving care. As the instructor reflected, “It was a great reminder of why we do this program.”
Training + timing + teamwork can make a real difference for students in need!
| | | | Somatic Tools Every Mental Health First Aider Should Know About | |
The Trauma Research Foundation’s Somatic Library is a free collection of recorded sessions focused on trauma‑informed healing and nervous system regulation from The Body Keeps the Score philosophy.
This resource can be especially valuable for MHFAiders, as it reinforces skills that help us stay grounded and present when supporting others.
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Increase Your Engagement in the
MHFA Collaborative Community
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1. Share your thanks with Lisa, Jessica, Jess and/or Kathy.
2. Use the QR code to download the updated “Resource Guide for Mental Health First Aiders” App to your phone or desktop, submit a Scavenger Hunt entry and become eligible for a $50 Amazon gift card!
3. Contact us if you’re interested in hosting a no cost MHFA training course in:
Ohio counties: Athens, Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Logan, Montgomery, Preble, and Warren or
Kentucky counties: Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Mason, Lewis, Fleming, Rowan, Robertson, Carter, and Greenup.
4. Join our private Facebook group for certified Mental Health First Aiders.
5. Check out our updated website.
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