Learn about free or reduced-cost lifesaving trainings available to Fairfax County residents.
By Caroline Coscia, CSB Communications Specialist
Supporting a loved one who is struggling with substance use, a mental health concern, or having suicidal thoughts can feel scary if you are unsure of what to say or do. The warning signs are not always obvious, but you can learn how to recognize them and what to do if they present.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) offers free online training courses and tools to all residents of Fairfax County and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax.
- The Mental Health First Aid training course can help individuals understand mental illnesses, seek timely intervention, and save lives. This course has a fee of $25, with limited stipends available.
- Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) is a suicide prevention training explaining three simple yet powerful steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. The training teaches you to recognize the warning signs of suicide, ask tough questions and offer hope, and get help to save a life.
- REVIVE! trainings prepare you to react safely and effectively in an overdose situation, to administer the lifesaving drug naloxone, and to know what to do afterward. Each attendee also receives a free REVIVE! kit, which includes naloxone and two fentanyl test strips.
- Lock and Talk trainings can help prevent suicide by safely securing and storing firearms and poisons, including medications that can be misused. These steps are known as lethal means safety, and can also help prevent accidental drug overdoses. The CSB has a limited supply of free locking medication boxes and trigger locks that fit a wide variety of firearms.
Mental illness and substance use disorders look differently for each person. Having the tools to help your child, friend, or neighbor can impact their life forever — and yours too.
The CSB is hiring! Click here to find a meaningful job opportunity with great benefits.