2OTH ANNUAL
FORENSIC RIGHT AND TREATMENT
CONFERENCE
November 27, 2012
Jim Hudack
Blair County MH/ID/EI Administrator
Winter 2011
 Began process of developing MHFA for Public Safety
 First meeting to develop MHFA in County
Spring 2011
 First MHFA class
 NAMI and local MH Providers began looking at how they
could help with the development of MHFA in Blair County
Summer 2011




Fall 2011
 Developed and implemented plan for local instructor
training
 Developed MH Specialized Police Training Steering
Committee
Sequential Intercept Mapping for Blair County
Blair County CJAB made MHFA part of their strategic plan
First Public Safety MHFA class
Began marketing MHFA for a local instructor certification
class
2011
2012
2013
Winter 2012
 Began filling instructor’s class with local residents
 Held first meeting of MH Specialized Training Steering
Committee
 Applied for local grant to offset costs
Spring 2012
 Instructor’s training (March 2012)
 First class offered by new instructors
 Developed plan for training public safety, business and
public
Summer 2012
 Set up quarterly meeting with local instructors
 Classes offered in community and courthouse
Fall 2012




Offered three Public Safety Courses
Created a MHFA Steering Committee
Offered 7 general public courses
Began working with local Chamber of Commerce

Cost - $3,000 vs. $1,150 per student

Less travel and time away from family and work

Less personal disruption of instructors

Built a stronger core of local instructors

Class cohesiveness

Offered local resource material

Created opportunity for media coverage
Juvenile &
Adult Parole
(3)
Intellectual
Disabilities
(1)
Mental Health
(11)
Total
Number of
Instructors
(19 )
Other
Counties (9)
Nami (2)
*Lost 2 instructors due
to work and moving
Law
Enforcement
(3)
Each instructor is required to teach at least one FREE community based
course a year
Buy In from law enforcement,
business and community
 Keeping costs of training at a minimum
 Sponsorships – Free advertisement
 Keeping instructors involved
 Educating the Public and Subgroups “Cultural
Change”
 Marketing
 Sustainability
 Class time of 12 hours is too long
 Getting media involved


Relationships – Relationships – Relationships

Communications make it face to face

Written information that applies to the audience
you are addressing

“What's in it for Me?”

Pre-existing relationships

Who are your stakeholders in community?
County Commissioners
 President Judge
 Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB)
 Regional hospital
 Mental Health agencies
 Local and state Law enforcement and public safety
 Emergency Management
 Chamber of Commerce
 Local businesses
 Media
 Community “EVERYONE!”











Vinnie the Used Car Salesman – talk to everyone
Create a Steering Committee
Break population down into subcategories and even smaller groups
◦
Public Safety (Police, Corrections, 911)
◦
First Responders
◦
Faith Based
◦
Businesses
◦
Local communities
Shotgun approach does not work
Develop material that is local and based on specific audiences
Use local media and invite them to trainings
Local calendar of events
Keep a sense of humor
Debrief after every class
Each person trained in MHFA becomes a marketer for the program

Over 250 individuals

50 Public Safety personnel

45 Blair County Courthouse staff (includes some
from all departments and all of Adult Parole)

133 from the general public

25 from Penn State Altoona Campus









Beginning 2013 will be offering at least quarterly the 8-hour
MHFA training to Public Safety personnel.
Offer monthly Community based MHFA trainings.
Develop a strategic plan to increase outreach to the various
population subgroups.
Develop instructor certification for Children, Public Safety and
Rural MHFA.
Develop additional business sponsorships to keep costs low.
Attempt to create partnerships with media, businesses and
civic organizations.
Continue with quarterly instructors meetings.
Improve the Steering Committee’s ability to supply technical
assistance to instructors.
Seek possible funding grants.
Contact information
Jim Hudack
Blair County MH/ID/EI Administrator
(814)693-3023 ext. 1480
jhudack@blairco.info