Submitted by: Providence Health & Services
As part of Providence St. Joseph Health’s commitment to behavioral health, free first aid training will be offered in Lewis County at Providence Centralia Hospital. This eight hour training course 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.
Classes (open to the public) will take place on upcoming Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (pre-registration is required by emailing TonyCloudMHFA@gmail.com with your name, phone number, email address and date of course you would like to attend)
Providence Centralia Hospital Mother Joseph Classroom (basement) on Saturdays:
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- Feb. 3
- March 31
- April 28
- May 5
- June 30
For more information about the program, see the Mental Health First Aid – Info Sheet.
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 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,” says 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 just 10 years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States—more than 800,000 people are certified Mental Health First Aiders, and that number is growing every day.
Someone you know may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. You are more likely to encounter someone in an emotional or mental crisis than someone having a heart attack. Learn an action plan to help. Get trained in Mental Health First Aid!
This training introduces you to the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Participants learn a safe action plan to support someone developing a mental health challenge or experiencing a crisis and how to connect them to appropriate care and support strategies. Mental Health First Aid is included on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidencebased Programs and Practices (NREPP).
A $170 value, this course is provided at NO COST through the generous support of Providence St. Joseph Health. Participants also receive a free manual that complements the course
