Community Capacity Building
The Foundation supports efforts to build the capacity of communities to provide mental health care appropriate to the community culture and resources. To date, these efforts have been through funding the implementation of the NBCC International (NBCC-I) Mental Health Facilitator program.
The Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) program is designed to improve access to mental health care within a given community by educating and training professionals, paraprofessionals and lay people in the basics of mental health. The intent is not to create a new mental health profession, but rather to provide individuals with the tools and skills necessary to identify mental health needs, make referrals, and work with and support those in need of mental health care.
The MHF program is only introduced at the request of local mental health experts. NBCC-I provides a 30-hour core curriculum, which includes a basic structure for teaching helping skills, working with integrity, diversity awareness, suicide prevention, trauma response, and referral and consultation techniques. To ensure cultural appropriateness, the training program is evaluated and modified as needed to fit cultural norms prior to being presented and has also been translated to other languages as needed.
The NBCC Foundation has awarded grants to perform MHF training in several countries including Malaysia, Malawi, Bhutan, China and Mexico.
The Foundation does not respond to unsolicited proposals. However, the NBCC Foundation Board of Directors seeks your input on other under-served and never served priority areas. Let us hear from you by emailing foundation@nbcc.org, subject line Priority Feedback.
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Greensboro, NC 27403
(336) 547-0607 phone | (336)547-0017 fax | foundation@nbcc.org