The NDSU Counseling Center will host a Mental Health First Aid Certificate Training session Feb. 27 through March 1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day in the NDSU Memorial Union.
According to an email from the center, one in four Americans lives with a mental health problem. Yet, up to two-thirds go without treatment. Just as CPR training helps a layperson without medical training assist an individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training helps a layperson assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis. The National Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare has begun working with communities throughout the nation, including the NDSU Counseling Center, to implement Mental Health First Aid training across the United States. The clinical and qualitative evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps the public better identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness, thus improving outcomes for individuals experiencing these illnesses.
The training program is a 12-hour interactive session. The certification 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 five-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 appropriate professional, peer, social and self-help resources available to help someone with a mental health problem
This first Mental Health First Aid training is open to NDSU faculty, staff and students. Registration will be capped at 25 participants and there is a $20 fee to cover the cost of materials.
For more information or to register for the training, call the NDSU Counseling Center at 1-7671. For more information on Mental Health First Aid, visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.