Heritage Events
Mental Health First Aid Trainings
Coming to You Soon!
One in five 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. 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 5-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or is in crisis. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches adults how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps you identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses. Mental Health First Aid teaches adults about risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems. The training provides Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders. Participants will learn a 5-step action plan to help someone developing a mental health problem or in crisis. Participants will be able to identify where to turn for help — professional, peer, and self-help resources.
Heritage was part of a team of individuals who piloted teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) in Clinton High school starting in January 2020. This was a great opportunity for adults to teach students about the importance of mental health and connecting to an adult when they find themselves or a peer facing a mental health or substance use challenge.
For more information about Mental Health First Aid go to https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/ or contact Jessica Smiley at jsmiley@heritagenet.org for more information about future training opportunities.
As of today, Heritage staff have trained 1,192 Mental Health First Aiders.