Florida Partners in Crisis

Behavioral health will take center stage at Florida Capitol in late March

March 2, 2010

Behavioral health will be in the focus at the Florida Capitol on March 24 through 26, with a number of events scheduled for the three-day period.
 
The Florida Partners in Crisis board of directors will meet on Wednesday, March 24, from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., at the Challenger Learning Center, 200 S. Duval Street, Tallahassee. Partners in Crisis members should RSVP for the board meeting to gailc@flpic.org to assure they will be included in the headcount for lunch.

A special Advocacy Training session is scheduled for Partners in Crisis members and other advocates immediately following the board meeting from 1 - 5 p.m. at the Challenger Center.  Parking for the Center is available in the Kleman Plaza, 306 S. Duval Street.

The training is being sponsored by the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association and NAMI Florida. There is no fee but advance registration is required.  You can download the registration form at www.fccmh.org.
 
On Thursday, March 25, the Fourth Annual Behavioral Health Day at the Capitol will take center stage on the third floor rotunda of the Capitol. Booths will be on display from 9 a.m.-  4 p.m. A reception for advocates and legislators will be held on the 22nd Floor of the Capitol from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
 
Behavioral Health Day is being hosted by the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association and NAMI Florida. Registration forms for the exhibit booths can be found at www.fccmh.org or by contacting Kendra Salvatore at kendra@fccmh.org.
 
Coinciding with these events will be a series of activities related to Suicide Prevention Day on March 24.  Educational displays will be located in the Capitol Rotunda beginning on 9 a.m., and a press conference is slated for 11 a.m. on the 22nd floor of the Capitol.

Mental Health First Aid Training will be held on March 25 - 26, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.,  in Room 2103 of the Capitol.

The course is designed to give members of the public the key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.  Just as CPR training helps a layperson assist an individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training provides basic skills to assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

The deadline for registering for the Mental Health First Aid training is Wednesday, March 10.  Cost for two-day certification course is $119.  For a registration form, as well as learning objectives and an agenda, go to www.creatingtoday.net/MHFA.html.