National Mental Health Association of Georgia

The leadership empowerment and access program leap is a training program designed to improve skills in professional development, leadership and personal resiliency for youth and young adults, 16 - 26 years old, who are managing or at risk of developing behavioral Health conditions. Leap participants master the ability to analyze strengths and weaknesses, set and achieve personal and vocational goals through the training tracks outlined below. This training program offers training to youth and young adults on Mental wellness and employment acquisition and maintenance. Young people have an opportunity to engage with our program specialist who will teach the tools and skills to gain self-empowerment, personal growth, and life-skills on their journey to achieve desired vocational goals. Participants have the opportunity to complete any or all of the trainings found in the three tracks outlined below in order to accomplish their personal and professional goals.

The Mental Health academy is a training program to educate non-mental Health professionals to better understand Mental illness/addictions and provide effective response options for de-escalation. The mha program offers Mental Health first aid mhfa, question, persuade and refer qpr gatekeeper training for suicide prevention and outreach wellness learning owl seminars which is a curriculum of common research-based mood and anxiety disorders to community members, faith-based leaders, first responders, veterans and their families. The purpose of the mha program is to increase Mental Health literacy for non-mental Health professionals to support individuals with behavioral Health challenges in their community and support coordination of services. Mental Health literacy is knowledge and beliefs about Mental disorders which aid in recognition, management, and/or prevention of Mental illness. The program strives for the following goals: goal 1: increase Mental Health literacy for first responders, faith-based organizations and families of veterans to support individuals with behavioral Health challenges. Goal 2: improve coordination and utilization of resources, Mental Health treatment, and supports in communities. Goal 3: implement Mental Health awareness campaign to address stigma and increase access to supports and treatment.

Kids on the block kotb: a puppet troupe which utilizes multicultural, life-sized puppets that perform copyrighted scripts on Mental Health topics to promote Mental wellness and stigma reduction for children, their families, and caregivers. Kotb perform for everyone from preschool age head starts to teenagers. Each presentation lasts from 40 minutes -1 hour includes 2 scripts and discussion session between the puppet characters and the audience.

Project healthy moms - an initiative to increase awareness, identification, treatment and support of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders e.g. - pre and postpartum depression, anxiety, etc. In Georgia, while also reducing the stigma associated with them. We do this through educational seminars for rising professionals in the field, provides toolkits that facilitate the dissemination of prenatal depression screening and educational material, provides training regarding screening and treatment and peer support for women suffering from prenatal mood andanxiety disorders.

Kids on the block - a puppet troupe which utilizes multicultural, life-sized puppets that perform copyrighted scripts on Mental Health topics to promote Mental wellness and stigma reduction for children, their families, and caregivers.