Mental Health First Aid for Spanish-Speaking Communities: Bridging Language Gaps and Expanding Capacity for the Non-clinical Crisis Workforce
Melanie Maldonado (1,2), Joey Rodriguez (1,2), Olivia Helfrich-Tapia (1,2), Steve Erazo Vasquez (1,2), Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian (1,2)
1. Psychosis Research Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Background: Massachusetts’ Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), in partnership with the Spanish Advisory Board for Linguistic Development, seeks to expand mental health education for underserved, Spanish-speaking communities. Despite Spanish being the second most spoken language in Massachusetts, speakers face barriers accessing resources. Offering free MHFA certification aims to equip individuals to recognize early signs of mental health and substance use challenges, reduce stigma, and connect youth and families to supports. Training Spanish-speaking MHFA instructors through bilingual workshops builds capacity for early intervention and addresses disparities.
Methods: A community-driven outreach strategy, prioritizing relationship-based engagement, was implemented to connect with Spanish-speaking communities statewide. By first connecting with personal contacts, we extended reach through referrals, collaborating with youth-serving agencies, schools, law enforcement, legal aid, the Department of Child and Family Services, and faith-based organizations. Free Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training will be offered for the next year. Pre- and post-training questionnaires measure instructor candidates’ and participants’ reactions and learning.
Results: So far, 20 individuals have been certified in YMHFA; five became bilingual Spanish/English instructors. Attendees have included teachers, social workers, peer specialists, and students. After training, 93% reported moderate/high ability to recognize signs, 93% felt confident initiating supportive conversations, and 86% felt comfortable asking about suicide. In post-training evaluations, 90% reported they could access the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line, and 80% were likely to use it. Referral tasks were rated “easy” by 90% for resources and 80% for health professionals. Qualitative feedback indicated improved responsiveness through relationship-based outreach, safe spaces to support immigrants, youth agencies, and bilingual college-age participants are highly interested in training.
Conclusion: Relationship-based outreach and culturally responsive facilitation enable equitable identification and linkage to early intervention. Interest in continued training is strong. We aim to certify a minimum of 80 individuals and 15 instructors statewide.