Norwood opens community mental health first‑aid training May 20 under SAMHSA grant

Elizabeth Barrett, the mental health awareness training program director, told the Board on April 28 that the town is offering a Mental Health First Aid training now open to anyone who lives in, works in, or supports Norwood residents.

"At first, we were just training town staff and school staff, but now we've opened up the community," Elizabeth Barrett said, and she gave the in-person date as Tuesday, May 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Norwood Library.

Barrett described the offering as a blended course: about seven and a half hours total, with roughly two hours of online prework followed by about five and a half hours of in-person training (including a one-hour lunch). She said the training can be scheduled on weekends or split across two days to accommodate participants.

Barrett said the training is covered by a SAMHSA and HACC grant and that the town has trained more than 250 school and town staff to date. She explained there are separate versions for adults and youth; the adult version certifies participants to assist adults in crisis, while the youth version trains adults to work with young people.

The board discussed logistics: Barrett said the course requires participants to be 18 or older to become certified; teachers in town are taking the youth version. She said the registration link and prework are posted on the town website and that interested people should email her (address included on training materials and the health department page) with questions.

No regulatory or budget action was taken by the Board; the presentation described a grant-funded training program and how residents can register.