SMA Healthcare
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Community Outreach & Education

SMA Healthcare is one of the community partners that make Crisis Intervention Training possible, along with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties and the Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties’ Sheriffs’ Departments. The program is a community effort designed to improve the skills of law enforce­ment in mental health emergencies with the goal of assur­ing safety, understanding, and service to the mentally ill and their families. For additional information, click here

Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training certi­fication course that teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions, and secure appropriate care for the individual. It introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews com­mon treatments. For additional information, click here

SMA Healthcare’s Speakers Bureau offers presentations to the community on topics ranging from SMA Healthcare services as a whole, to specific programming, and/or behavioral health issues. The SMA Healthcare Speakers Bureau was estab­lished to inform and educate the community about mental health issues, substance abuse trends, and the wide spectrum of services SMA Healthcare provides, in addition to how to access them. The SMA Healthcare Speakers Bureau is composed of professionals who represent the organization at civic, professional, educational, and other community events.

The SMA Speakers Bureau is a free service to our community, however, some travel expenses may be in­volved for presentations outside our four-county service area. SMA Healthcare will work with you to identify the topic and speaker that best fits the needs of your audience.

Recommended/available topics include:

  • SMA Services
  • The Opioid Crisis
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Mental Health and the Baker Act
  • Substance Abuse and the Marchman Act
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Ways to Help: Advocacy and Support
  • The SMA Foundation

Please note that we will do our best to support any requests, but due to speaker schedules, we cannot guar­antee all requests will be filled.

Is there a fee associated with using the SMA Healthcare Speakers Bureau?

No. Speakers made available through SMA Healthcare do this as part of their official duties. Employees do not receive an honorarium (or another fee).

How far in advance should I request a speaker?

You should submit your request 4-6 weeks in advance. Because our speakers have full-time jobs, they must have adequate advance time to work out their schedules. This also allows us to prepare for any special requests pertaining to the topic to be presented.

Who pays for the speaker’s travel expenses?

If you request a speaker outside of our four-county service area (Volusia, Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties), you or your organization would be responsible for travel expenses incurred (i.e., mileage).

How do I schedule/request a speaker?

Contact Robert Edgcomb at (386) 236-3251 or email redgcomb@smahealthcare.org.

Our Family Education Program provides 12 educa­tional sessions for family members. The family edu­cation program describes how addiction impacts the entire family and offers assistance. The goal is to pro­vide information and guidance to families struggling to cope with the family impact of addictive disease.