Please complete this form and you will hear from a representative to schedule a training for your organization. Additionally, if you would like to be informed of future trainings in the community, submit your information and you'll be added to a listserv that will share information about upcoming trainings. We currently offer Mental Health Awareness, Mental Health First Aid, and Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings.


Mental Health Awareness

This 2.5-hour training will teach people how to identify signs and symptoms of mental illness, reduce stigma, understand recovery and treatment, and how to help during a mental health crisis. Each participant will receive a certificate of completion following the session. The training will include:
-What is mental health?
-How does stigma affect people?
-Who do you call in a mental health emergency?
-Where can you go for treatment?

Adult Mental Health First Aid

This 8-hour training will help you identify:
-Risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns.
-Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance use.
-A 5-step action plan to help someone developing a mental health concern or in crisis.
-Available evidence-based professional, peer, and self-help resources.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

This 8-hour training will help you:
-Recognize the potential risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents.
-Use a 5-step action plan to help a young person in crisis connect with appropriate professional help.  
-Interpret the prevalence of various mental health disorders in youth within the U.S. and the need for reduced negative attitudes in their communities.  
-Apply knowledge of the appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help resources available to help a young person with a mental health problem treat and manage the problem and achieve recovery.  
-Assess their own views and feelings about youth mental health problems and disorders.

Learn how to encourage resiliency among youth who might be struggling with mental health problems    
In 2020, The Kennedy Forum is spearheading a community-based initiative to provide free training to community members across the City of Chicago about mental health, where to find services in their community, and how to contact a crisis intervention team (CIT) trained police officer in a time of crisis. The goal of this project is to:
1. Increase knowledge of signs and symptoms of mental illness.
2. Reduce stigmatizing attitudes/beliefs about mental illness.
3. Increase knowledge about how to request a CIT trained officer in a crisis situation.
4. Increase referrals to professional mental health services.

If you have any questions or concerns about training, please reach out to James Burns: 312-479-2636.