Centerstone To Offer Youth Mental Health First Aid On February 17

Feb 4, 2021 9:00 AM

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WEST FRANKFORT – Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host a free, virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training on February 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This groundbreaking eight-hour training course gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

There is a two-hour, self-paced online training to be completed at least three days prior to the course date. The live Zoom workshop includes interactive training; participants are expected to remain actively engaged throughout the course. The deadline to register is February 10.

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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.

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“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 ten years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States—more than 1 million people are certified Mental Health First Aiders, and that number is growing every day.

“Youth mental health first aid is for anyone with teens and adolescents in their life,” said Megan Ragan, with Centerstone’s Trauma, Treatment and Training (CT3) program. “In this training, parents, educators, church members, community members and others can learn practical skills that can truly save a life."

To register or for more information, contact Ragan at megan.ragan@centerstone.org or call 1-877-HOPE123 (1-877-467-3123), ext. 7875.

This training is sponsored by the CT3 program.

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