Purdue Extension offers mental health training
Commercial-NewsJun 25, 2019
The 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.
One in five Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care, according to An Extension release. 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," said
This course is pre-approved for Category 1 Continuing Education for the following professionals:
--Mental health counselors and associates
--Marriage and family therapists and associates
--Social workers, clinical social workers and associates
--Addiction counselors, clinical addiction counselors and associates.
A certificate of completion is awarded and can be used to apply for other continuing education credits.
Registration for the training is required, and must be completed online by
In just 10 years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in
"The No. 1 one need that I hear folks in the 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
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