DBCH offers many educational programs and trainings to promote wellness, prevent suicide, and reduce
substance use and overdose in our community.
Learn more about these opportunities below, or call our Prevention Coordination at 845-486-2885 to ask specific questions about mental health and substance use prevention.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a medication that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin or other opioids in a person’s brain for 30 to 90 minutes. We offer Narcan training to anyone who believes they may encounter a person who is at risk for drug overdose or misuse.
Led by Behavioral & Community Health staff, the training will review:
Monthly virtual training sessions will be offered for members of the public from 4:30-5:30 pm usually on the 4th Wednesday of each month as follows:
November 23
December 21
January 25
February 22
March 22
April 26
May 24
June 28
July 26
August 23
September 27
October 25
November 22
December 20
To participate in our virtual Narcan training sessions, please email Lori Levine, Opioid Educator, at llevine@dutchessny.gov. Other virtual Narcan training sessions are also available upon request. Each trainee will receive a FREE Narcan kit after completing the virtual training.
For more information, or to find out about additional training opportunities, call (845) 486-2844 or email healthinfo@dutchessny.gov. You can also visit the New York State Department of Health to learn more about their statewide opioid overdose prevention program.
We offer several types of suicide prevention training:
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) – This one-hour training reviews three simple steps that can help anyone identify the warning signs of a suicide crisis.
Suicide Safety for Teachers & Staff (SST) – This one-hour training is designed for teachers and other school staff who have no mental health training. The course reviews the importance of suicide prevention, characteristics of at-risk students, the critical role played by educators, and more.
To learn more about suicide-prevention training opportunities, please contact our Prevention Coordinator at 845-486-2885 or healthinfo@dutchessny.gov.
Mental Health First Aid – This 8-hour course teaches how to help an adult who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis or issue. Participants will learn the importance of early intervention, review risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction, and discover strategies for helping someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
Youth Mental Health First Aid – This 8-hour course teaches how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or crisis. Ideal for parents, school personnel, or anyone who interacts with teens, this program introduces common mental health challenges, reviews adolescent development, and teaches an action plan for helping young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
Too Good for Drugs – This school-based program is designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective influences related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among students. The program utilizes evidence-based strategies to help build students’ sense of self-esteem, and confidence in their ability make healthy choices. The series includes developmentally appropriate curricula for each grade level. (Funding support may be available.) Provided by our contract agency, the Council on Addiction Prevention & Education
For more information on our prevention and training programs, please contact our Prevention Coordinator at (845) 486-2885. Our staff is happy to work with you to accommodate your training and prevention needs — either at your location or at our behavioral health campus at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie.
