Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) will be offering Mental Health First Aid training in Silver City and Lordsburg over the summer months in 2017. This groundbreaking, 8-hour training course gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem, and also provides the tools to connect individuals with appropriate support and resources, when necessary.
1 in 5 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 cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) helps individuals without clinical training to 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.
"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 550,000 people are certified Mental Health First Aiders, and that number is growing every day.
"As a mental health provider, I have witnessed how this training benefits the members of our community, employers/employees, friends, and family members to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness. I am honored to be able to provide this training opportunity to members of our community," says Edith Lee, HMS Chief Support Officer.
Participants must preregister. There is a $25 fee, which includes a participant workbook and refreshments; lunch will be provided. Available training dates in Silver City and Lordsburg include:
Saturday, June 24 at Hidalgo Medical Services (Silver City, NM)
Saturday, July 22 at Hidalgo Medical Services (Lordsburg, NM)
Saturday, August 19 at Hidalgo Medical Services (Silver City, NM)
For more information or to participate in an upcoming Mental Health First Aid training, please contact Edith Lee, HMS Chief Support Officer, at (575) 597-2738 or elee@hmsnm.org.
Please visit http://www.thenationalcouncil.org to learn more about Mental Health First Aid training. Please visit www.hmsnm.org to learn more about HMS services, providers, and locations.