Mental Health Advance Directive (MHAD) Training

February 10, 2026

10 am - 12pm

Virtually on Zoom

$30/per non-member

$20/per member

This course is appropriate for anyone wanting an overview of MHADs including but not limited to persons in recovery, peers, MH professionals, community partners, case managers, hospital employees, provider agencies, etc.

Learning Objectives:

• What is a mental health advance directive (MHAD)?

• What types of directives are there?

• What information goes in an MHAD?

• What makes an MHAD valid?

• Who should MHADs be given to?

• Do health care providers have to follow all instructions

Time: 2 hours
Number of People: 50 

Date: February 10th, 2026

Youth and Young Adult Peer-2-Peer Training

February 11th-13th, 2026

9 am - 4:30 pm each day.

Grounded in the philosophy of peer support services and developmental theories, peers are in an ideal position to make a difference. This training targets unique and practical ways to engage and share empathic mental health support, reduce isolation, ease developmental angsts, help clarify confusions, build practical skills and pursue life roles that meet youth’s needs in the ways that matter. Individuals, in the metamorphic identity shift from youth to adult with mental health-social emotional disorders – Raising voices, choices, and supports for a personal youth-quake! Certificate is provided.

Learning Objectives: Upon conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the peer -to-peer code of ethical conduct and boundaries to support positive youth development

• Define youth/young-adult growth in the context of Aces and Assets what impacts healthy adult development and sources of strength and wellbeing

• Review guidelines, differences and strategies to offer safe and sensitive supports during crisis and emergency situations

• Examine the many facets of wellness, self-care states and strategies

• Introduce a template to welcome, engage and effectively support active participate in the recovery, resilience processes and strong adult passages  

• Develop and present an innovative 7-minute YaYa Welcoming Plan

Time: 3-Day Training (18 Hours)

Number of People: 25

Trauma 101-Healing, Understanding, Supporting

March 9th, 2026

9 am - 12pm 

This course is in-person at our office at 2551 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA

This course is a no-cost MEMBERS ONLY TRAINING.

This course is appropriate for anyone wanting an overview of trauma and its impact, including but not limited to persons in recovery, peers, mental health professionals, community partners, case managers, hospital employees, provider agencies, educators, and youth-serving organizations.

Learning Objectives:

• Define trauma and its diverse impact

• Explore the effects of unresolved trauma

• Understand the brain and trauma’s impact on development

• Review the ACEs and Philadelphia Study

• Identify strategies for healing and recovery

• Support others through trauma

• Develop coping skills and self-care practices

Time: 3 hours
Number of People: 25

Date: March 9th, 2026

This course is in-person at our office at 2551 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA

Bullying and Suicide Awareness Training

March 18, 2026

1 pm - 3 pm

Virtually on Zoom

This is a MEMBERS ONLY free training

While suicide awareness and bullying awareness are two unique topics, research has found that bullying is a significant risk factor for suicide. While these two topics are associated in this training module, it is important to underscore that suicide is a complex behavior that is rarely attributed to one cause. The training is eligible for Act 48 credits, and certificates will be provided. All course attendees should leave this course with an understanding of the following:

Who Should Attend: Professionals employed or contracted within school-based settings.

Learning Objectives:

Part A:  Bullying Awareness

• Definition of bullying

• Differentiating cyber bullying from physical/in-person bullying

• Identify warning signs of bullying: signs of youth who are engaged in bullying, and signs of youth who are being bullied

• Overview of bullying and its impact on youth mental health and school related outcomes

• Gain a brief overview of laws and policies related to bullying that may impact school employees

• Identify resources for youth who are experiencing bullying or engaging in it

Part B: Suicide Awareness

• Gain an overview of the pervasive myths, misperceptions, and stigma surrounding suicide

• Discover how to identify youth who may be at risk of suicide

• Learn about suicide risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs

• What to consider when responding to youth who may be at risk of suicide

• Learn how to refer youth who may be at risk of suicide

• Gain a brief overview of laws and policies related to suicide awareness that may impact school employees

• Identify national, state and local crisis resources

Time: 2-3 hours

Number of People: 25

Advanced Level Ethics for Peer Professionals-Virtual

April 20, 2026

9 am - 4:00 pm 

Advance Level Ethics for Peer Professionals was created to allow peer professionals to take a deep dive into ethics. Individuals will bring their own ethical dilemma to class to discuss in a solution-based format. A few of the topics that will be covered include ethical supervision, how culture and diversity play a part in making ethical decisions, peer responsibilities, client rights, and multiple relationships.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the core principles of professional ethics.

• To recognize and address ethical dilemmas in the workplace. To promote a culture of integrity and accountability.

• To develop skills for ethical decision-making and conflict resolution.

Time: 6.0 hours

Number of People: 25

May 6th, 2026

9 am - 12 pm

Virtually on Zoom

This is a MEMBERS ONLY free training.

It is funded by the Region 5 Recovery Hub Grant through The PA Department of Drugs and Alcohol Programs.

The Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association and The Region 5 Recovery Hub now offer insights into Harm Reduction!

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of people who use drugs? This training, based on SAMHSA's principles of harm reduction, is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to support individuals in your community effectively.

Why Attend?

• Save Lives: Gain the skills to prevent overdose and infectious disease transmission.

• Supportive Environment: Create a supportive environment that respects the lived experiences of people who use drugs.

• Broader Impact: Address broader health and social issues through improved policies, programs, and practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the principals and history of Harm Reduction 

• Explore forms of Harm Reduction

• Explore the Future of Harm Reduction

Time: 3 hours

Number of People: 25

Question, Persuade, Refer Training (QPR)-Virtual

May 6th, 2026

10 am - 12:30 pm 

This is a MEMBERS ONLY Training.

This is a suicide prevention training where the participant learns to recognize warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone to help appropriately. Youth MOVE PA and PMHCA provide this training to professionals and the community as an emergency mental health intervention for suicide. Certification is provided.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the warning signs of suicide

• Know how to offer hope

• Know how to get help and save a life 

Time: 2.5 hours

Number of People: 25

Trauma Sensitive Peer: Continuing Our Journey

May 13th-15th, 2026

9 am - 4:30 pm 

This course is in-person at our office at 2551 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA

This course is a no-cost MEMBERS ONLY TRAINING.

As Certified Peer Professionals, we continue our healing and recovery journey every day and this workshop allows for more growth and understanding of trauma, how it applies to us as humans, how we can apply it to our professional life, and why any of that is important.

During this workshop participants will:

• Practice sharing a personal story in a way that is sensitive to the person receiving the story

• Practice receiving a person's story that may be difficult to hear in a kind and compassionate manner 

• Understand the importance of body language while having difficult conversations

• Learn how to control body responses and verbal responses that may be harmful 

• Learn how to receive a person's story so it does not become part of vicarious trauma for the peer professional

Time: 3-Day Training or (18 Hours)

Number of People: 25

Start With Art Training-Virtual

June 4th, 2026

10 am - 1 pm 

The Start with Art Training for Certified Peer-Based Professionals is a specialized program designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to integrate art activities into peer support services. This training is particularly beneficial for those with lived experience in mental health or substance use challenges, aiming to enhance their ability to support others through creative methods.

• Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the Benefits of Art Activities: Understand and articulate the various advantages of engaging in art activities.

  • Assess Different Art Mediums: Analyze and determine the appropriate use of various art mediums.

  • Discover the Benefits of Art Activities: Incorporate Art into Your WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

  • Design an Art Activity: Develop and plan your own unique art activities

  Time: 3.0 hours

  Number of People: 25

June 9th-11th, 2026

9 am - 4:30 pm each day

Peer Support within the Criminal Justice System (FPS) offers a person-centered, strength-based support system offered to individuals with mental health and/or co-occurring challenges becomes involved in the justice system. This curriculum is structured based on the Sequential Intercept Model with initial contact with law enforcement all the way through re-entry into the community after release from incarceration.

What does a Forensic Peer do?

• Support people during their involvement during the criminal justice system
• Promote recovery principles including self-advocacy
• Advocate for recipients of behavioral health care when they are unable to advocate for themselves
• Educate all stakeholders in the Criminal Justice System about Mental Health Recovery
• Inspire hope through shared life experiences 
• Appropriate setting for Forensic Peer Support
• Crisis Intervention Teams
• State Hospitals
• Emergency Rooms
• Jails/Prisons
• Courts/Specialty Courts
• Halfway Houses
• Mental Health Offices
• Community Settings

*YOU MUST APPLY FOR THIS CLASS AND BE APPROVED BEFORE ENTRY *

APPLY HERE: Peer Support Within The Criminal Justice System Application – Fill out form