Purdue Extension Offers Mental Health First Aid Training
September 22, 2021 at 3:58 p.m.
By Staff Report-
This eight-hour training course, which includes two hours of prework online and six hours of in-person instruction, gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary, according to a news release from Purdue Extension.
One in 5 Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not get them until it is too late, stated the release.
Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aiders learn a five-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.
“Through this program, we hope to take the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, which helped bring Mental Health First Aid to the U.S. in 2008. “When more people are equipped with the tools they need to start a dialogue, more people can get the help they may need.”
In 10 years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States — more than 1 million people are certified Mental Health First Aiders, and that number is growing every day, stated the release.
“The number one need that I hear folks in our community talk about is regarding mental health. Mental Health First Aid allows regular people; friends, neighbors, sisters, co-workers, to recognize the signs of a mental health illness and to reach out and be a bridge for that person to receive hope and support,” said Tonya Short, health and human sciences educator for Purdue Extension – Knox County.
For more information, contact Kelly Heckaman at 574-372-2340 or [email protected].
To register for the upcoming a Mental Health First Aid training in Warsaw, visit https://cvent.me/2KyqxE. Registration deadline is Sept. 30 and the $20 registration fee includes lunch and workbook.
E-Editions
This eight-hour training course, which includes two hours of prework online and six hours of in-person instruction, gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary, according to a news release from Purdue Extension.
One in 5 Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not get them until it is too late, stated the release.
Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aiders learn a five-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.
“Through this program, we hope to take the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, which helped bring Mental Health First Aid to the U.S. in 2008. “When more people are equipped with the tools they need to start a dialogue, more people can get the help they may need.”
In 10 years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States — more than 1 million people are certified Mental Health First Aiders, and that number is growing every day, stated the release.
“The number one need that I hear folks in our community talk about is regarding mental health. Mental Health First Aid allows regular people; friends, neighbors, sisters, co-workers, to recognize the signs of a mental health illness and to reach out and be a bridge for that person to receive hope and support,” said Tonya Short, health and human sciences educator for Purdue Extension – Knox County.
For more information, contact Kelly Heckaman at 574-372-2340 or [email protected].
To register for the upcoming a Mental Health First Aid training in Warsaw, visit https://cvent.me/2KyqxE. Registration deadline is Sept. 30 and the $20 registration fee includes lunch and workbook.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092