Data from our CAN Dashboard shows that the percentage of adults reporting poor mental health is at a 10-year high. The CAN Community Council has published two reports on mental health and wellness:
Community Mental Health and Wellness Report: Recommendations for Addressing Mental Health (2022)
Mental Health Report: “Everybody Has a Role” (2023)
These reports outline and assess needs/trends pertaining to mental health and wellness and make recommendation regarding the strategies and actions that our community should pursue to address this growing problem. Beginning in 2022, CAN as a whole focused on mental health, launching the Language Access Project for Mental Health and Wellness. CAN is in the process of helping to develop mental health toolkits for community members who speak Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese.
CAN Launches Mental Health First Aid Challenge – May 2023
Another action CAN has taken is to advocate for expanded use of the Mental Health First Aid training model to increase our CAN members’ and community’s ability to more effectively recognize when and provide support for individuals who are demonstrating signs of worsening mental health or who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
On May 10, 2023, CAN’s board chair, City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, Vice Chair Liz Johson of St. Edwards University and representatives from Austin Public Health and Travis County Health & Human Services Department announced a challenge that CAN’s board has agreed to undertake. specifically to facilitate a process by which CAN member organizations will collectively train 1000 staff members on Mental Health First Aid by June 1, 2024.
Please check this website for Mental Health First Aid training opportunities.
Email info@canatx.org if you are interested in being trained to be a trainer of Mental Health First Aid or if you have questions about or would like to be involved in this effort.