Plummer

Researchers are evaluating a culturally grounded mental health training program called First Face for Mental Health in Tribal communities. This study aims to determine whether the training improves mental health knowledge, the ability and confidence to respond to mental health crises, reduces stigmatizing attitudes, and increases cultural identity among participants. The research is conducted using a waitlist control design within seven Tribal Nations in the Northwestern United States. The First Face training is a community-based program designed for laypersons and others living or working in Tribal communities to help them assist individuals experiencing mental health crises. The course takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants are divided into two groups: one receives training immediately, and the other after a 6-month waitlist period. Multiple training sessions of 15–30 people occur separately within each tribe. Assessments are done before and after training, with follow-up surveys conducted up to 24 months after initial training. Participants complete surveys at several time points: before training, immediately after, and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-training. The surveys evaluate mental health knowledge, perceived competence, ability to respond using situational judgment tasks, and actual responsive actions. Researchers compare outcomes between the initial training group and the waitlist control group during the first six months and monitor sustained effects in both groups over two years. Recruitment is community-based, and participant numbers are proportional to the size of each tribe.