COMMUNITY EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS IN 2022

Education is a key component to the non-clinical services that Riverbend offers to staff and community members alike. One of these education opportunities is Mental Health First Aid, led at Riverbend by Jaime Corwin, VP of Human Resources.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a national program that teaches participants to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance misuse. “Two new trainers were certified in Mental Health First Aid in 2022,” said Corwin. “Currently we have two certified members on staff. We held one Riverbend-sponsored MHFA training in 2022 and have another planned in May of 2023. Our goal is to offer two classes for staff each year. In addition, we aim to offer both condensed and formal community class trainings in MHFA. HR staff participate in multiple workplace safety workshops and conferences each year, and in April 2022, I became certified to teach First Aid, CPR, and AED. We have orchestrated monthly classes since that date, and so far 42 staff members have been trained.”

Human Resources and other Riverbend staff members also frequently attend live and virtual events to reach out and educate the community about Riverbend and the services they offer by setting up a table with promotional information. These events also serve to potentially recruit new staff.

The Children’s Intervention Program has continued to provide important education opportunities for members of the community by collaborating with the Department of Education over the summer by extending their camp services.

Melissa Colby, Director of the Children’s Intervention Program, explains some of these efforts. “In several camps throughout the region, staff provided daily mental health support to campers while also offering training and consultation to camp counselors. During the school year, we collaborated with all of our region’s school districts, holding monthly consultation meetings with each school and providing co-located therapeutic in-school services and therapeutic groups. Our 2023 goal is to increase the number of summer camps we work with and expand school year services to include after-school programs.”

All of Riverbend’s programs are continually seeking to make connections with local community partners and to provide education and training opportunities where needed, with the overall goal to educate the community on where these valuable resources can be found and to help eliminate stigma for those who need and receive treatment.

Educated Community, a Riverbend Board-designated work group, meets monthly and primarily focuses on creating a robust month of events during May, which is nationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Riverbend celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month in 2022 with special events to educate, inspire, and entertain.

The 2022 Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest was held at the Tupelo Music Hall on May 4th. Young people in grades 5 through 12 showcased their work to help raise awareness, erase stigma, and advocate for change.

International speaker, corporate trainer, and Author Kim LaMontagne held a virtual workshop on May 11th, focusing on Wellness in the Workplace and on creating a ‘culture of safety’ in the workplace environment.

Novelist Donald Antrim was the guest of Gibson’s Bookstore on May 17th. There he discussed his latest book, One Friday in April: A Story of Suicide and Survival “Those who suffer from mental illness and die by (or ‘of’) suicide do not take their own lives,” says Antrim, “but they have their lives taken from them.”

The powerful and empowering showcase titled This Is My Brave was performed at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord. For the fourth consecutive year, this storytelling event featured original songs, poems, and essays about what it’s like to live with a mental illness and addiction. All four performances that have been sponsored by Riverbend are available on YouTube. This is My Brave 2022 is available at: https://youtu.be/YJ3m9eHmmsQ.

Riverbend’s Training Committee, a committee comprised of members from each department of the agency that meets monthly. The committee maintains all offered trainings at Riverbend, both required and elective. They review evaluations compiled of currently offered trainings to ensure that trainings are kept up to date, and altered as needed. The committee is responsible for developing new training content needed across all departments of the agency. Such topics arise from observations brought by committee members, or suggestions from staff to the committee that are reviewed during monthly meetings.

The committee ensures that clinical staff licensure requirements are met by providing comprehensive trainings that are submitted for professional continuing education credits. The committee’s goals are to ensure that all staff in the agency receive the training they need to complete their job, and are offered trainings that will allow them to further grow in their field and careers.

Riverbend will continue to make efforts to educate our staff and communities. Get involved by following Riverbend on social media and visiting their website at www.riverbendcmhc.org.

Education By The Numbers

Internal Trainings Offered to Staff: 282

External Trainings, Presentations & other Community Education Events: 33

Educational opportunities for staff are cultivated via