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Mental Health First Aid Summit Breakouts A

MHFA4 - Taking MHFA to Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers in Areas With Limited Resources

Sunday, April 26, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM MDT
Location: Bluebird 2C
NASW CCB ACCME NY-SW NY-MHC NBCC
Rural communities face significant barriers to mental health care, including provider shortages, transportation challenges, limited broadband, and stigma, creating urgent disparities in access. Mental Health First Aid helps bridge these gaps by equipping trusted community members to recognize concerns, offer initial support, and connect people to care when professional resources are limited. This session highlights how a small nonprofit, with just three MHFA trainers, trained over 6,000 participants across rural communities in three years through strong partnerships and locally adapted approaches. Participants will leave with practical strategies to overcome rural barriers and strengthen MHFA programs through collaboration, creativity, and persistence.

Learning Objectives:

  • Examine strategies for scaling MHFA in rural communities by leveraging relationships, partnerships, and local networks.
  • Learn from real-world experience of a small nonprofit that, with just three trainers, has trained over 6,000 participants by adapting programs to meet rural community needs.
  • Apply practical approaches to collaboration and program adaptation that strengthen sustainability, community engagement, and equitable access in underserved rural areas.
Disclosure(s):
Jamie Hagenbuch, BA: No financial relationships to disclose
Stephanie Henry, BA; Sociology: No financial relationships to disclose
Aaron Evans, LPC-S: No financial relationships to disclose

    Presenter - MHFA Summit(s)

  • Jamie Hagenbuch, BA

    Program Manager: Mental Health First Aid
    Madison County Rural Health Council
    Cazenovia, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

  • Stephanie Henry, BA; Sociology

    Director of Community Health
    Madison County Rural Health Council
    Cazenovia, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    Slides

    • Moderator - MHFA Summit(s)

  • Aaron Evans, LPC-S

    Psychotherapist, Death Doula, and MHFA National Trainer
    Aaron Evans Counseling and Consulting, PLLC
    Lockhart, Texas

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose