We are here for the community
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training for Law Enforcement & Other Related First Responders
We MHA is involved in collaboratives such as “Crisis Intervention Team” (CIT) trainings to law enforcement officers, college campus law enforcement officers, and area EMTs. CIT is a 5-day, 40 hour training to law enforcement and other related personnel to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of persons experiencing a mental health crisis, to help them de-escalate a person having a mental health crisis in a safe and humane manner and, finally, to help individuals in crisis access services – as an alternative to jail. MHA is in charge of conducting and organizing four CIT training sessions in a given year.
Short-Term Counseling Services:
The purpose for counseling is to help individuals live their lives better.
Short-Term Counseling Services are provided free to qualifying recipients.
The purpose for this program is to: (a) serve as a “bridge” to help individuals access services timely and simultaneously help the recipients find and attain longer-term community mental health services or (b) where the benefit of this program fulfills the recipient’s needs at that point in time.
Priority is given to individuals — including children and adolescents — who are uninsured, under-insured, have recently lost their benefits or have other extenuating circumstances.
The MHA contracts with local licensed therapists to provide this service.
Call the office at 336-768-3880 for additional details.
Hearing Voices that are Distressing:
What is it like – day in, day out –for someone who lives with auditory hallucinations, also known as hearing voices?
Auditory hallucinations are just one of the multiple symptoms typically associated with persons living with psychotic disorders, (such as schizophrenia), as well as individuals who live with bipolar disorder.
However, anyone can be susceptible to auditory hallucinations. Developed by the National Empowerment Center, the MHA partners with NAMI-NW Piedmont NC to provide this training, whereby participants will hear simulated voices and simultaneously undertake a series of tasks including: a psychiatric interview, a reading comprehension test, and a group activity in a mock day treatment program.
This valuable, educational simulation experience is followed by a debriefing, discussion period and how we can all better communicate with someone who lives with auditory hallucinations.
Call 336-768-3880
for details or how we can provide this training to your group or program.
Representative Payee Services
Through referrals, this program serves individuals with severe mental illness who receive Social Security Disability and/or Supplementary Security Income and cannot manage their own funds. We become the client’s payee and manage their funds to pay their rent, utilities, medications, food and other basic necessities to help them remain in the community, to avoid frequent hospitalizations and homelessness.
Court Assistance Program
The MHA monitors the outcomes of the weekly Judicial Hospital Hearings (Involuntary Commitment) and reports paperwork or other clerical errors to appropriate hospital or provider staff. If family members are present, the MHA offers information, referrals, resource assistance prior to the start of the weekly hearings.
Information and Referral Services
The MHA provides information/referral services to callers, e-mail inquiries, and walk-in visitors as well as to area professionals on various topics such as (but not limited to): specific mental health disorders, community mental health services, medication information, community support programs and/or substance abuse services. We maintain a database of local mental health providers for those interested in finding a provider in the private or public sectors. The MHA provides referrals based on a person’s mental health and/or financial needs.
Mental Health 101 Educational Trainings:
Education, understanding and compassion are vital to reducing the stigma long associated with mental illness.
Mental illness affects 20% of the population – including children, adolescents, adults, older adults – annually. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14.
The MHA offers “Mental Health 101” trainings to anyone in the community interested in learning more about mental health, how to help someone in distress and resources for help in our community.
Target recipients for this training include (but not limited to): human service professionals, human resource professionals, faith communities, educators, community advocates, healthcare, business communities. Each training – including training time — is tailored to meet the needs, expectations of the target audience.
We can and will partner with a community mental health professional to address issues, other needs that may warrant additional expertise.
Call 336-768-3880 for details.
Mental Health Awareness Campaigns and Suicide Awareness/Prevention Trainings
Promotional campaigns are held to spread awareness, understanding and to work to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Services include: ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainings), QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer – Suicide Education and Prevention), depression and anxiety screenings, radio and television interviews, participation in community health fairs and other events and panel discussions.We periodically sponsor or co-sponsor community meetings, forums, panel discussions — that are free and open to the public — on a variety of mental health and related topics.
Mental Health Court (MHC)
Forsyth Mental Health Treatment Court: Lack of community-based services and/or barriers to services increase the likelihood that persons living with severe mental illness may end up in jail.
In most cases, the arrest rate for persons living with severe mental illness is oftentimes for minor crimes.
The MHA serves on the Treatment Team of the Forsyth Mental Health Treatment Court.
Implemented in 2012, the Forsyth Mental Heath Treatment Court is a post-booking, jail diversion program designed to: (a) reduce the number of persons with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system, (b) reduce the number of persons with mental illness stigmatized by a criminal conviction and (c) reduce the number of persons with mental illnesses in detention facilities.
In an advocacy capacity, Mental Health Court is part of a larger effort to divert persons with mental illnesses from the criminal justice system by improving, expanding community-based mental health services and by providing diversion at the earliest possible stage.
Speaker Meetings
The MHA provides an array of speaker/educational/lunch & learn services on a variety of mental health and related topics such as (but not limited to):
Building Resiliency/Self-Care,
Coping During the Holidays,
Seasonal Affective Disorder,
Coping with Change During the Pandemic and others.
Call 336-768-3880 for further information and how we can help.
Operation Santa Claus
Small gifts and goody bag items are provided to patients with mental health needs at local psychiatric inpatient facilities during December. Community agencies, local businesses, civic and church groups and volunteers donate their time, money and gifts to make the holidays special for our neighbors with mental health needs who are in hospital. It is our way to show that we care and to let them know that they too are remembered during the holidays.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Trainings:
WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Trainings encourage hope, personal responsibility, emotional regulation, the creation of a crisis plan and self-advocacy.
WRAP guides participants with lived experience of mental illness through the process of identifying and understanding their personal wellness resources. This training then helps participants develop an individualized plan to use these resources daily.
The MHA offers several 20-hour certified WRAP Trainings annually.
We charge a small fee to recoup the cost of the training manual that is provided for each participant.
Call 336-768-3880 for additional details and when WRAP trainings will be offered.