Upcoming Open Courses:
Post Wilderness Risk Management Conference Certification Courses available to all outdoor industry professionals.
ADULT Mental Health First Aid, Virtual / Blended, Monday, January 16th, 9am – 4pm PST. Register here.
“Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues.” This training is evidence and research-based, began in Australia in 2000 as a public education program, and was brought to the United States of America in 2008 by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and the states of Maryland and Missouri. For more information from the National Council, head to mentalhealthfirstaid.org.
“Natasha was an incredible facilitator. Her passion for Mental Health and taking care of others is abundantly clear. This makes ALL the difference, especially in an online space. Best online [professional development course] I have ever taken. I have used these skills so many times in the weeks after taking the course. Incredibly important skills, and potentially lifesaving for ANYONE to learn! 11/10 would recommend taking this course with Natasha.“
Tasha Saunders, Player Care Specialist at Onrise Care
Why Get Certified on AMHFA with Dirt & Tears?
Click here to view the full slide deck on your instructor’s background, experience, education, and all the details on the course content.
“This course provides the skills needed to cultivate and foster a genuine, caring, and healthy team. As the importance of mental wellness becomes increasingly prevalent in the work place, this course provides the foundational training needed for employees to be become stronger, more compassionate leaders. Every employer in 2022 and beyond should be providing this course for it’s employees.”
Dan Deemer, Senior Manager of Base Area Operations with Vail Resorts at Kirkwood Mountain Resort
“If you’re thinking about taking the Adult Mental Health First Aid course, take it with Natasha. […] I couldn’t be more grateful that I got to take the course with someone so passionate, informative, and cognizant of any type of mental health journey. Although the day of the course seems long on paper, it flies by because of Natasha. It was interactive when it needed to be, but also not interactive when it didn’t make sense to be. Not only do I now understand how to help others from a MH perspective, but I also know how to help myself. I would highly recommend Natasha to anyone looking to become MHFA certified!”
Andrea Jolly, Founder + Podcast Host at The Jolly Recruiter
Corporate/Private Courses:
To schedule a private course for a group of employees or other cohorts, email me at natasha@dirtandtears.com, or schedule a meeting with me here.
Clients:
“Natasha presented three different sessions for our Mountaineers community: Adult Mental Health First Aid Certification, Mental Health On and Off the Trail, and Invisible Injuries: Grief, Depression & Concussions. All three sessions were a hit. Her passion for facilitating inclusive and psychologically safe environments was evident in every session. In addition to engaging with empathy, she taught with a high level of patience, as praised by our volunteers and instructors. I highly recommend Natasha […] especially if your team, staff, volunteers, members, etc, have any involvement in the outdoors. I look forward to the day when this content is widely and broadly available, and hopefully Natasha will be leading it. On the admin side, I was grateful for her exceptional organization, infectious enthusiasm, and proactive initiative – a professional in all ways!“
Michelle Song, Volunteer Development Manager, The Mountaineers
Why Get Certified with Dirt & Tears?
[…] I was encouraged by the material and methods that Natasha presented in the MHFA course. Her empathy in presentation and her focus on practical, real-world examples gave me the confidence to be able to recognize and provide support when mental health challenges arise among my friends, family, and co-workers. After 20 years of mandatory HR-style mental health and suicide awareness “training” in the Army, I was skeptical about the course, but found it to be immensely valuable and have used the specific framework and skills taught in the course many times since taking it. I recommend it for anyone in the veteran community or outdoor industry. Thank you, Natasha!
Tyler Van Horn, Combat Veteran / Outdoor Leadership Education & Team Building
Want to chat live and get to know more about the course and myself as an instructor?
Dirt & Tears in the News!
United Soccer League Launches Need Support?, In Partnership With 988 Lifeline, To Support The Mental Health Of Our Communities | United Soccer League | May 2023
Quoted from Press Release:
The USL has developed a program to provide Adult Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) training to coaches throughout the professional leagues. Mental Health First Aid is an evidence- and research-based course that was created in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The Adult Mental Health First Aid focuses on common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges and how to respond from early intervention through crises.
The training program will be run in partnership with licensed MHFA instructor Natasha Buffo, a community mental health facilitator who runs Dirt & Tears, a mental health and leadership training company that centers on being “comfortable with the uncomfortable, telling the untold stories, and guiding the gritty discussions.”
“Nearly all of my clients agree – they want to help but lack the confidence in when to step forward, what to say, and how to make an impact,” said Buffo. “I am proud to be partnering with the USL. I’ve witnessed firsthand the difference in leadership, employee satisfaction and retention, between teams where a manager is trained on AMHFA and those that are not. Just like a game cannot be won by an individual and a season can’t be completed without practice, mental health cannot be achieved alone, without support and information. We must work together and as a community – like any strong team will do to reach their goals.”
– Natasha Buffo, Dirt & Tears
Being Outside is Great for Your Mental Health, Unless You Take it Too Far | Written by Ilana Newman | SHE FLY APPAREL | May 2022
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