Highland Rivers Connect is a training institute created by Highland Rivers Behavioral Health through a grant received by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration. Highland Rivers Connect began in 2023 to improve the mental health awareness of community members, first responders and elected officials by increasing the knowledge of mental health prevalence of communities, the treatment and supports that are available to community members and how to refer, and the use of de-escalation techniques should someone be experiencing a crisis.

Total Number of People Trained

769

We are proud to share that our training programs have successfully reached a significant milestone. As of today, a total of 769 individuals have been trained through our various programs.

Training Menu

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in ...crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. To learn more, download the Mental Health First Aid for Youth one-pager.

CIT Youth

To address the growing number of young people with mental illness in the juvenile justice system, communities around the country have expanded their Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs to meet the specific needs of youth. CIT for Youth programs teach law enforcement officers to connect young ...people who need help to effective services and support in their community by training officers about adolescent brain development and how mental health symptoms present in youth. These programs build partnerships between schools, school-based police officers, children’s mental health providers and parents. The goal is to intervene early to prevent youth from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.

Hearing Voices

The Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation is a groundbreaking, empathy-building experience which helps students, mental health professionals and first responders understand the challenges and strengths of people who experience psychosis.

QPR

Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper training in the world. The key components of this training include: how to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal; how to get help for yourself or learn ...more about preventing suicide; the common causes of suicidal behavior; the warning signs of suicide; and, how to get help for someone in crisis.

Vicarious Trauma for Law Enforcement

Enables someone to recognize trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, resilience, and vicarious resilience. Participants will be able to discuss how working with a traumatized population affects law enforcement staff and the impact of vicarious trauma on o...rganizations. Participants will be able to identify particular strategies that enhance both personal and professional resilience.

Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

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The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® trains community members to not only help themselves but to help others within their wider social network. The primary focus of this skills-based, stabilization program is to re-set the natural balance of the nervous system. CRM’s goal is to help to create... “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-focused” communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased using this skills-based approach.

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