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Mental Health First Aid

Digital Poster Presentations

Poster 11 - Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety Professionals Across Massachusetts: Outcomes from a Statewide Initiative

Monday, April 27, 2026
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM MDT
Location: Screen 9, Exhibit Hall Poster Pavilion
This poster showcases outcomes from a statewide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program for public safety professionals in Massachusetts. Covering 113 instructors and 3,000 trainees across 140 courses in 150 municipalities, the project represents one of the largest known dataset on MHFA outcomes for first responders. Pre- and post-evaluation results highlight measurable improvements in knowledge and crisis response skills, along with lessons for statewide implementation and next steps for sustaining impact.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the scope and implementation strategies of a statewide Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) initiative for public safety professionals across 150 municipalities.
  • Analyze pre- and post-evaluation data from 113 MHFA instructors and 3,000 first responder trainees to identify measurable changes in knowledge, confidence, and crisis response skills.
  • Apply lessons learned from the Massachusetts statewide project to inform the development, scaling, or improvement of MHFA programs in other public safety or community contexts.