Imagine that you and your family are enjoying a pleasant day at your company’s annual picnic.  Everyone is having fun.  The adults are playing volleyball and softball.  The children are enjoying the playground equipment.  There is plenty to eat.  Suddenly, a child sprains an ankle, breaks an arm, or chokes on a bone.  Fortunately, someone has had first aid training.  The injured child receives basic medical aid, meeting their needs until professional medical care is available.

Now, imagine a friend is experiencing a different kind of distress.  She has been acting differently.  She is isolating herself from others.  She is tearful and seems unusually angry.  She isn’t eating much, but sometimes smells of alcohol.  She has made odd statements.  These behavior changes worry you – but you don’t know how or if you should help.   You need Mental Health First Aid training.

Mental Health First Aid training prepares the average person to understand and help address mental health issues.  Mental Health First Aid was developed in Australia in 2001.  Health care providers there recognized that their country’s enormous rural spaces often made it difficult to obtain professional medical care.  For people who were discouraged by depression and other behavioral  challenges, seeking help and traveling to obtain it during a crisis was often overwhelming.  Mental Health First Aid was developed to bring timely mental health care to people, regardless where they lived.  It proved so valuable that it has since spread to many countries, including the United States.

Mental Health First Aid training includes twelve hours of instruction.  Attendees learn how to recognize distress and provide assistance to a person who is experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, substance abuse, and other difficulties.  The training also clarifies when it would be better to contact police or other emergency personnel, rather than providing first aid alone – and how to recognize this circumstance.  

It is important to know that Mental Health First Aid does not replace care by mental health professionals, but, it does provide basic assistance until professional help can be obtained. 

Mental Health First Aid training is available to anyone, but it has proven especially useful to teachers, police officers, fire department personnel, paramedics, and others who respond to crises as a part of their work.

North Range Behavioral Health provides Mental Health First Aid training, free of charge, to individuals, agencies, organizations, and businesses within Weld County.  Training is offered throughout the year. 

Please contact Dr. Maureen Huff at 970 347-2120 for more information or to enroll in the training.

This article was written by Pamela Collins Vaughn, MA. LPC - Program Director, NRBH.  It was previously published in the Greeley Tribune.