Pacific Islander Initiative Hosts Free Teen Mental Health First Aid
The Pacific Islander Initiative of San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, in partnership with community collaborators, recently hosted a three-day Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Certification Training for youth ages 14–18, creating a space that felt not only educational but deeply meaningful, culturally grounded, and connected. This free, three-part certification series held between February 25th and February 27th equips teens with the knowledge and skills to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their peers. The energy in the room was inspiring, full of curiosity, courage, and a strong commitment to caring for one another. One moment captured the heart of the evening when a youth participant shared that he attended because his senior passion project focuses on youth mental health, and he was excited to see how the certification would shape both his project and his future goals. Moments like this remind us that when young people are given tools, language, and support, they step into leadership with purpose.
This work is especially important within Pacific Islander communities, where behavioral health disparities, including stigma, underutilization of services, cultural barriers, and delayed access to care, continue to impact families. By increasing mental health literacy and building peer-to-peer support networks, Teen Mental Health First Aid helps ensure youth can recognize concerns early and connect to trusted adults and culturally responsive services, getting care when it is needed, not only when a crisis occurs. More than certification, this training strengthens prevention, reduces stigma, promotes healing, and fosters wellness rooted in community care. It is an investment in a generation that leads with empathy, cultural pride, and the confidence to seek and support mental health care, helping our youth and families live longer, healthier, and more connected lives.
Written by Tia Bell, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity
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