Orange County Hosts Mental Health First Aid Class for Senior Leadership Team Members By: Jennifer McGuire, Wellness Program Manager, Orange County Human Resources
Several years ago, in 2022, Orange County commenced its Cultural Initiative. As part of that effort, the Wellness Program Manager position was established with the purppose of supporting the wellbeing of all Orange County employees. As part of the continued journey of the Wellness Program, 15 members of the Orange County Senior Leadership Team recently participated in an Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Why offer the class to senior leadership? Well, the secret is out – better supported employees provide better services. Orange County prioritizes supporting staff, who in turn are better able to support our residents.
MHFA was created in Australia in 2001, and brought to the United States in 2008 through a partnership between the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the states of Maryland and Missouri. Since that time, there have been over 4.5 million people in the United States alone who have been trained in MHFA. The program is research and evidence-based. It works by teaching individuals to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of a mental health or substance use challenge. First aiders do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Rather, they provide a judgement-free ear to listen and provide resources for those who may need the assistance of a professional. For the first aider, MHFA has been carefully designed to help take the fear and hesitation out of talking about mental health and substance use, providing trainees with an action plan and the confidence needed to start these conversations so more people can get stigma-free support. Not only do these skills help empower leaders to be better supports for employees, they also become better equipped to serve the public at the same time. It’s a win-win. Those interested in receiving training should know that MHFA (including those geared specifically towards helping youth) classes are periodically offered to the public in partnership with Orange County Parks and Recreation. Visit www.orangecountyva.gov/ocpr to stay up-to-date on program offerings. Those experiencing a mental health challenge should know that support is out there. Locally, Encompass Community Supports provides mental health and substance use services available to Orange County residents. Learn more at www.encompasscommunitysupports.org/services. Empowering our leaders to identify and support team members who may be experiencing a mental health challenge also creates a great opportunity to help those in need. After all, we spend much of our waking time around our coworkers, and they may be the first to notice when someone could use a helping hand.
Those in crisis should use the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline service. Support is available by phone, text, and chat. Learn more at 988lifeline.org,
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OCI March 2026
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