CCAC Barbering Students Earn Mental Wellness Ambassador and Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Certifications

Published March 27, 2026

CCAC Barbering students at the college's Homewood-Brushton Center have completed the "Our HAIR" (Health Access Initiative for Recovery) training program offered as part of the center's collaboration with the Community Care Behavioral Health Organization (Community Care). The class received certificates for both Wellness Ambassador and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper programs.

The QPR Institute's Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training is an evidence-based program designed to teach individuals how to recognize and respond to a suicide crisis. Often described as the mental health equivalent of CPR, it provides a simple, three-step action plan to help save lives.

The Wellness Ambassador program is an initiative by Community Care designed to break mental health stigmas, increase access to culturally relevant care, and promote healing within the communities they serve.

"This is a significant milestone for our students and for the CCAC Barbering program as this strengthens them not only in their craft, but it also provides additional support for the communities we serve," said Dr. Juel Smith, executive director of the Homewood-Brushton Center and associate dean of science.

"Working with the students in this program has been an absolute joy. They were very engaged, asked a lot of questions and absorbed the information learned like sponges. They began using the information immediately, and on the third day of the training, three of the students shared stories of how they had used the information learned in class to help friends who were struggling with their mental health. These students are equipped and ready not only to help their clients look good on outside but will also be a huge asset in dismantling the stigma around behavioral health and supporting them to get the help they need to feel good on the inside too," said Lori Weems, Program Manager, Community Care Behavioral Health.

Barbers and hairstylists often create a safe, comforting space where clients feel free to open up about personal topics like their health, family or life challenges. These everyday conversations can be powerful moments of connection.

To support this unique community role, Community Care created the "Our HAIR" program to provide training to help barbers and stylists recognize signs that a client may be struggling with a behavioral health issue, learn how to engage them around the issue and link them to needed resources. The goal is to meet people where they already feel comfortable and connect them to helpful resources and support. The "Our HAIR" training program was designed to focus on strengthening and supporting underserved communities.