Mental Health First Aid- Pecan Valley Centers

05/12/2022

May is mental health awareness month, so remember to treat yourself to some self-care.

12/23/2021

The holidays can be a time full of shopping, family traditions and holiday parties. But, for many people, it can also be a time of stress and social anxiety. The idea of walking into a crowded office party, traveling to

12/08/2021

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in your community. Here at Pecan Valley Centers we encourage adults who regularly interact with adolescents to participate in our Mental Health First Aid- Pecan Valley Centers course. You can find out more information about this course at www.pecanvalley.org under the Resources tab.

https://www.pecanvalley.org/mhfa-1

11/22/2021

Free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to anyone employed with an ISD in Region 11! Email MHFA@pecanvalley.org for more information or to register!

10/25/2021

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT!!!

Samantha Ballard is from Hico, Texas. She graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice in 2015 and a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2020. Samantha is a published research author, with a recent publication in a peer reviewed journal. She is currently on the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team for Pecan Valley Centers as she is pursuing full LPC licensure. She has been certified as an Adult MHFA instructor since June of 2018. Samantha is passionate about mental health and advocating for it on multiple levels, whether that be providing education through Mental Health First Aid in the community or reaching out to local legislators at the state level and participating in advocacy events through professional organizations. In her free time, Samantha enjoys reading and spending time with loved ones.

10/04/2021

Come join in on our FREE October training event for Community Members and learn how to better serve your friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers when they may be facing a mental health or substance abuse crisis.

Registration via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-first-aid-october-community-training-tickets-183751735387?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

09/30/2021

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT!!!

Celia Brannon has spent the last ten years working for chemical dependency and psychiatric hospitals in the DFW metroplex. She is a nationally certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, teaching corporate business professionals, law enforcement, military families and Fire/EMS personnel to reduce stigma and encourage professional help for those in crises caused by mental health and substance misuse issues. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication from Howard Payne University and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.

Celia is a member of several heritage societies; one of her hobbies include helping others find their own family history through genealogy research. She also enjoys nature photography, flower gardening and freelance writing projects. She lives with her husband and dog, Buddy, who at 115 pounds, hopes to be a therapy dog when he grows up!

09/23/2021

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT!!

Kourtney Garcia, MS, LPC-A, NCC, supervised by Dr. Bryan Duncan, PhD, LPC-S, NCC. She has worked for PVC in some form for a little over 6 years and is currently serving as the First Episode Psychosis Team Lead. She graduated with her bachelor’s in psychology in 2016 from Tarleton and Master’s in 2020 in counseling.

Kourtney has been Adult Certified since 2018 and Youth certified since 2019! She has a passion for mental health and breaking stigma surrounding mental health. She enjoys spending time with her family, husband and dogs.

09/17/2021

Reach out to our MHFA Coordinator at MHFA@pecanvalley.org or 817-579-4471 to see how you can get certified in Mental Health First Aid!
***dePreventionAwarenessMonth

Addiction is complicated, and recovery from it is a challenge that millions of people in the United States face every day. Although stigma and misinformation persist, millions of Americans are living in recovery – a daily challenge to choose long

09/16/2021

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT!!

Kaitlin Tollison, LCSW-S is a clinical social worker operating as Chief Clinical Officer for Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County. CIS is an in-school student school service providing assistance to students to be able to be successful throughout school and the rest of their lives. Tollison leads a team of clinicians to provide outpatient counseling services in partnering schools to eliminate barriers commonly faced by students and families attempting to gain access to mental health services. In addition to leading this team, Tollison provides clinical supervision to aspiring clinicians as well as develops and facilitates mental health trainings, including Youth Mental Health First Aid and Teen Mental Health First Aid, to schools and the larger community.

09/14/2021

Let Pecan Valley Centers provide you the tools to help have these hard but necessary conversations. Contact us to schedule a Mental Health First Aid course by emailing mhfa@pecanvalley.org or calling 817-579-4471!
***dePrevention

If you or someone you know is considering su***de, call 9-1-1 or the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). On average, there are 129 su***des every day, and for every su***de 25 more people attempt su***de. The numbers are

09/09/2021

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT!!

Georgie is a LMSW and currently the Clinic Manager for Erath, Hood, & Somervell Counties for Pecan Valley Centers. Georgie has been a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor since 2014 and an Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor since 2016. She has 8 years of experience working with children and adolescents and 3 years with adults diagnosed with mental health and behavioral health challenges. Georgie has also worked with specialized populations throughout her career such a human trafficking survivors, transition age youth, and homeless youth.

She is currently in the process of becoming a LCSW where she hopes to continue to work closely with the mental and behavioral health population and serve the local community. Outside of work Georgie enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.