Requiring the provision of mental health first aid training.

This bill would direct the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to work with the Office of Community Mental Health in order to offer “Mental Health First Aid Training” to the public. This type of training teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and risk factors for mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Such training would be available to the public at no cost, every day, excluding holidays, and in multiple different languages. The bill would also require outreach to raise awareness about the training and to specifically encourage individuals who have roles or professions that require frequent interaction with the public, such as salon workers, religious leaders, and community leaders, to participate in the training.