Mental Health First Aid
Identify. Understand. Respond.
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What is MHFA?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a live training program-like regular First Aid or CPR- that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
This 8-hour certificate training course will teach participants how to recognize the symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide the individual to professional help, if appropriate.
This course is designed to demystify the whole topic of mental illness by increasing mental health literacy and to decrease the stigma that is attached to it. By detecting the problems early, you can ensure that the person is properly treated and supported.
The numbers don't lie:
Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (52.9 million in 2020).
139.8 million Americans (12 and over) drink alcohol.
14.8 million or 10.6% of them have an alcohol use disorder.
58.8 million people use tobacco.
31.9 million use illegal drugs.
Recent data shows that substance abuse remains a persistent and pressing problem for many young adults.
Nearly 10 million Americans are living with a serious mental disorder.
The most common are anxiety disorders, major depression, and bipolar disorder.
In 2020, there were an estimated 14.2 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 5.6% of all U.S. adults.
Course Specialties
Human Resources & Managers
The truth is that one in five Americans suffer from a mental illness, making it the #1 cause of disability worldwide, yet ONLY 15% of HR/managers are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of an individual facing a mental crisis and a whopping 35% of managers feel they have received little to NO formal training to help an employee in need.
Higher Education
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Higher Education is designed with colleges’ and universities’ unique culture and resources in mind. Training Students, faculty and others in higher education settings how to recognize the symptoms of emerging mental illnesses or to assist young adults in a mental health crisis can help lessen the severity and impact of mental illnesses.
Law Enforcement & Corrections
Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety’s goal is to prevent tragedies, decrease the need for arrests and incarcerations for people with mental illness, reduce repeat detentions and help police officers connect with appropriate resources that can help. Let’s stop responding to those living with mental illnesses as offenders and start meeting their needs as patients. Let’s protect our officers and our communities at large. Let’s make sure every officer in America is trained in Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety.
Fire Fighters & EMS
Firefighters and EMS workers are often the first on the scene to not only witness an accident, injury or shocking event, but also deal with the emotional repercussions – both within themselves and their community. They are on the frontlines of emergency calls and, because one in five Americans has a mental illness, are likely to encounter someone in crisis. Over time, that takes a toll. First responders are more likely than members of the general public to develop behavioral health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
Military & Veterans
While military service often fosters resilience in individuals and families, some service members may experience mental health or substance use challenges. Thirty percent of active duty and reserve military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment – about 730,000 men and women – with many experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression. Sadly, less than 50 percent of returning veterans in need receive any mental health treatment. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that approximately 22 veterans die by suicide every day.
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