Training Tuition, Travel, and Per Diem for Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training Certification

I want to become a Mental Health First Aid instructor to help people connect. Eric, my late-husband died of adverse effects of heroin five years ago. He had a long history of co-occurring mental illness. I too have struggled with mental illness over the course of my life and recently celebrated 10-years of recovery. Throughout my healing and recovery, I have found nurturing my mental health with positive, healthy connections with appropriate human services helped my life exponentially to support my personal mental health literacy and improve my quality of life.

I want to help advance the well being of individuals through mental health first aid training efforts by facilitating connections with individuals and communities with appropriate knowledge to provide mental health first aid skills. I am empowered by my own mental illness and I am inspired to encourage reduced stigma and discrimination.

I believe my authenticity, strength and compassion is a valuable asset. I would love to share vital information with individuals, families and communities to espouse best practices and awareness when responding to a mental health needs. It is my hope that we can elicit more effective conversations regarding mental illness. Our society has made strides to open the conversations of mental illness, I want to help bridge the chasms.

The upcoming Mental Health First Aid Training course is offered on February 25, 2019 through March 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. I would prefer to attend this training session. However, the next available training session would be March 11, 2019 hrough March 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. I understand there are tight time constraints. However, if I do not meet the goal in time for the upcoming training at the end of the month, I have a back-up goal to still meet the financial goal in an amended time frame. The donated funds would cover Mental Health First Aid instructor training costs $2,950 plus $1,300 for flight, lodging and per diem.