First Face for Mental Health
First Face for Mental Health is a training and research program created through a 12-year collaboration between the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations, seven Native American communities of the Inland Northwest, and the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital.
First Face is a culturally grounded program that equips community members with the knowledge and skills to support others during mental health struggles or crises. By raising awareness of how mental health crises and substance use disorders manifest locally, the training aims to reduce stigma and build community confidence in responding to those in need.
The tool featured in this presentation, Healing Hands, is a culturally informed, kinesthetic learning aid designed to teach the five essential steps someone can take when serving as the “First Face” in a moment of crisis.