Mental Health First Aid Training Now In Kosciusko County
MJCarey Consulting LLC is initiating the Mental Health First Aid program in Kosciusko County and surrounding counties. Marsha J. Carey will train teachers, paraprofessionals and other school staff, college students, nonprofit and public staff members who work with families and children, and members of the public to improve mental health literacy – helping them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.
“I am thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Marsha Carey. “This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. It will help rid the community of the associated stigma and move more and more people toward recovery.”
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a 5-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual. The certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments.
Thorough evaluations in randomized controlled trials and a quantitative study have proved the CPR-like program effective in improving trainees’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma and increasing the amount of help provided to others.
“We welcome Marsha Carey’s initiative and enthusiasm in the Mental Health First Aid community,” says Linda Rosenberg, MSW, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, the organization which brought Mental Health First Aid to the United States in 2008. “We know there will be a great impact on the mental health communities throughout northern Indiana, and they will be key players in improving mental health literacy nationwide.”
For more information or to participate in a Mental Health First Aid training in a location near you, visit mjcareyconsulting.com, or call 574-528-1415.