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Meridian is proud to bring Mental Health First Aid to our communities

As Former President Bill Clinton said, "Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all."

The root of most stigmas is generally fear. The stigma surrounding mental illnesses in America is no different: fear of not understanding the problem, fear of doing or saying the "wrong" thing, and fear of not knowing what to do when someone needs help.

What is Mental health First Aid and Why do our Communities Need it?

Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour training course designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it makes people feel more comfortable managing a crisis situation and builds mental health literacy " helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.

The goal of the Mental Health First Aid course is to demystify the whole topic of emotional stress affecting one's daily functioning or mental illness "i.e. to increase mental health literacy and to decrease the stigma.

Just like regular Fist Aid this course does not teach you to be the professional, the therapist, the counselor or the diagnostician.p>

Mental health First Aid is the initial help given to someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis before appropriate professional help or other help, including peer and family support, can be engaged.

WHY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?

• 1. Mental Health Problems are common;
• 2. There is stigma associated with Mental Health problems;
• 3. Many people are not well informed about mental health problems;
• 4. Professional help is not always on hand; and

There are ABC'S for regular First Aid Action Plans. There are five (5) actions in the Mental Health First Aid Action Plan:

THEY ARE

• 1. Assess Risk of Suicide or Harm
• 2. Listen Non-judgmentally
• 3. Give Reassurance and Information
• 4. Encourage Person to get Appropriate Professional Help
• 5. Encourage Self-Help Strategies.

Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour course and may be done in two 6-hour sessions OR four 3-hour sessions.

Topics covered include:

• 1. What are Mental Health and Emotional Problems;
• 2. What is Depression;
• 3. Crisis First Aid for Suicidal Behavior;
• 4. What are Anxiety Disorders, Panic Attacks, and Acute Stress Reaction
• 5. What Are Psychotic Disorders;
• 6. What is Substance Abuse Disorder;
• 7. What are Eating disorders; and
• 8. What is Self-Injury

Ask yourself this, do you know what to do in the following scenarios?

• 1. Your best friend was a victim of physical assault some years ago and has since been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. You are with her when she suddenly breaks into a sweat, doubles over as if in pain and starts to hyperventilate.
• 2. Your teenage son seems top be anxious, suspicious and irritable most of the time. He has the most bizarre plans for the future and he is acting as if he has not slept for a week
• 3. Your best friend has used marijuana regularly since you were both In high school and she also drinks occasionally. Lately she has become confused and anxious, in fact she talks a lot of nonsense and she seems to have undergone a complete personality change.
• 4. You are at work when your ex-boyfriend calls. He sounds really depressed and he says he wants to kill himself.
• 5. A fellow employee seems to have recently lost all pride in his appearance and enthusiasm for life. His speech is sluggish at times, he states he "just feels sad all the time," and tells you he has given away his favorite CDs and computer games.
• 6. You are at a work a sponsored party when one of the attendees suddenly becomes violent. She has a knife and it is obvious that she is responding to voices only she can hear.
• 7. You are outside the pre-school waiting to pick up your child when you notice another parent behaving strangely. He is walking in circles and having a heated argument with someone who is not there.

For more information or to reserve your course, call 352-374-5600 ext. 8187.

Click hear to listen and learn more about Mental Health First Aid on the Meridian Community Affairs Show.