Mental Health First Aid
As you know, mental health problems – such as depression,
anxiety, impulse control and misuse of alcohol and other drugs – are shockingly
common in the US. In fact, more than 1
in 4 American adults will have a mental health problem in a year. The National Council on Community Behavioral
Healthcare has begun working with communities throughout the nation, including
LifeWays, to implement Mental Health First Aid to arm the public with skills to
help individuals who are developing a mental health problem or experiencing a
mental health crisis.
The goal of Mental Health First Aid is to increase mental
health literacy. Like CPR training helps a non-medical professional assist an
individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training helps an
individual who doesn’t have clinical training assist someone experiencing a
mental health crisis. In both situations, the goal is to help support an
individual until appropriate professional help arrives, with the added
underlying intention to promote health literacy.
Mental Health First Aiders learn to apply a single strategy
in helping someone through a panic attack, engaging with someone who may be
suicidal, supporting a person experiencing psychosis and helping an individual
who has overdosed. In practicing the intervention strategy, Mental Health First
Aiders learn the risk factors and warning signs of specific illnesses such as
anxiety, depression, psychosis and addiction; engage in experiential activities
that build understanding of the impact of illness; and learn information about
evidence-based treatment and support - ultimately building participants' mental
health 'literacy'.
The Mental Health First Aid program is an interactive
session which runs 12 hours. It can be conducted as one two-day seminar, two
one day events spaced over a short period of time or as four 3-hour sessions.
Mental Health First Aid certification must be renewed every three years, and
introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health
problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments.
Specifically, participants learn:
- The potential
risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems,
including: depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis and psychotic disorders,
eating disorders, substance use disorders, and self-injury
- An understanding
of the prevalence of various mental health disorders in the U.S. and the need
for reduced stigma in their communities
- A 5-step action
plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to assess the situation,
to select and implement appropriate interventions, and to help the individual
in crisis connect with appropriate professional care
- The evidence-based
professional, peer, social, and self-help resources available to help someone
with a mental health problem.
Upcoming Courses (click a date to register)
2011
October 12 & 13, Hillsdale ISD, Hillsdale
November 3 & 4, LifeWays Pine Room, Jackson
December 7 & 8, LifeWays Pine Room, Jackson
2012January 5 & 6, LifeWays Pine Room, Jackson
January 19 & 20, LifeWays Pine Room, JacksonFebruary 9 & 10, LifeWays Pine Room, JacksonFebruary 23 & 24, LifeWays Pine Room, JacksonMarch 28 & 29, Hillsdale ISD, HillsdaleMental Health First Aid in your CommunityMHFA-USA envisions that Mental Health First Aid will become
as common as CPR and First Aid training during the next decade. MHFA-USA
certifies community providers to implement Mental Health First Aid in
communities throughout the United Sates. Each Mental Health First Aid site
develops individualized plans to reach their communities, but all deliver the
core 12-hour program and each participating site undergoes tight credentialing
to guarantee fidelity to the original, tested model, while also maintaining the
flexibility necessary to reach its unique citizens’ needs and demographics.
To find a mental health first aid training provider near
you, click here for an interactive, searchable map of all of the active
training locations.
Want to bring Mental Health First Aid on-site at your agency? Send us an email for more information.
Course Fees
Thanks to grant funds provided by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Allegiance Health Community Projects Fund and the United Way of Jackson County, LifeWays is able to provide Mental Health First Aid to our community at half-price for a limited time.
In
addition, these grant funds allow us to provide scholarships that cover
the course fee for those that work in nonprofit organizations,
churches, schools and law enforcement offices. The scholarships also
apply to individuals receiving services through the LifeWays Provider
Network, as well as individuals that are simply seeking additional
mental health-related training. Scholarships are limited and available upon request. To inquire about scholarship availability and/or to register via scholarship, please email us.
As an added bonus, if you have achieved Star Stepper
Status in the Step By Step Challenge, you are eligible to receive an
additional $5 off! So, to all of you Star Steppers out there: to register with the discount applied, please email us. If you have questions about which course fee to select, please email us.
Need to Pay Offline by Check?
Complete this form, attach payment and return to LifeWays.
Other Questions Not Answered Here?
Check out our dedicated FAQ Page for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Mental Health First Aid.
