Free Mental Health First Aid courses offered in Ellis County

What do you do when someone starts having a panic attack or expresses thoughts of suicide or shows signs of alcoholism?

In these situations, Mental Health First Aid courses created by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing can train you on how to offer initial help and guide someone toward appropriate care when needed.

The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority offers free Mental Health First Aid courses to Ellis County. Amy Sanders, manager of MHFA education and outreach, said the course is vital to erase stigma around mental illnesses and to help those facing mental health challenges.

“We’ve got to start thinking about the way we talk about mental health,” Sanders said. “People have the tendency to feel the waters and test us out about certain things before they approach us about something, so we need to stop using stigmatizing language and stop throwing our opinions out there without thinking first because our feelings and thoughts kind of get in the way of what’s reasonable.”

Sanders compared Mental Health First Aid to regular CPR and first aid, saying the overall practice is the same. In both, participants learn to recognize signs and symptoms of illnesses and how to help until the professionals arrive.

During the course, participants will learn the common signs and symptoms of mental illnesses and substance abuse, how to communicate with a person in crisis and how to connect the person with help.

“We don’t teach you how to diagnose,” Sanders said. “We don’t teach you to be a therapist or counselor or treat somebody. It’s how to connect the appropriate way with someone after we notice things – because we do, especially with people that are close to us, we notice when something’s not quite right. When we have education, we’re confident enough to approach them and ask them what’s going on, and we’re ready for the answer when we get it.”

The first portion of the course explains the most common mental illnesses and their signs and symptoms. The main portion discusses the five-step ALGEE action plan which also serves as a mnemonic device.

The first step is understanding how to approach someone and when to do it and how to assess them for suicide or harm. Next, first aiders will learn how to listen nonjudgmentally, helping them build trust.

“When we’re building trust, if we don’t seem engaged and we don’t seem like we care, then, obviously, that person is not going to tell us some of those possible deep, dark feeling or secrets they may be holding in,” Sanders said. “It’s really hard for us to be nonjudgmental, especially when someone is saying things that we know are not true, but it’s how they feel in the moment, so it’s important to them. We have to respect that.”

After listening, first aiders should give reassurance and information. Sanders said they will learn specific phrases or actions to do. Next, they’ll encourage appropriate professional help. All first aiders will receive a resource packet with national and local resources at the end of the course.

Lastly, first aiders will encourage self-help and other support strategies like reaching out to loved ones or getting involved at the YMCA or joining a quilting club. They’ll also share different coping skills like coloring, listening to music or even reading books. Sanders has done this step on a napkin in a restaurant.

Following the action plan is a conversation about how to help in crisis situations including suicide, panic attacks and substance abuse crisis. The course ends with the topic of self-care which teaches mental health first aiders how to take care of themselves before they take care of other people.

There are two types of courses, with one focusing on youth mental health and the other on adult mental health. While the courses are similar, they vary on the type of mental illnesses and approaches to talking to the youth or adult. The youth course also includes different guidelines for those in a school setting.

Sanders encourages those who want to take both courses to take them several months apart.

The instructor-led course can be taken three ways: virtual, blended learning and in-person. For both the virtual and blended options, the participant will first complete a two-hour self-paced course, then attend a four-and-a-half-hour class either virtually over Zoom or in-person. The completely in-person option is an eight-hour class led by an instructor.

Those interested can register for a class through Eventbrite. After registering, they will receive an email with more information two weeks prior to the class.

Sanders said everyone should consider taking a course because public education is the quickest way to reduce sigma and help those struggling to be more willing to get help.

For more information about mental health first aid, visit https://ntbha.org/services/ and https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org or email Sanders at asanders@ntbha.org. To register for a class, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/amy-sanders-31278987899#about.

Originally published October 5, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/education/free-mental-health-first-aid-courses-offered-in-ellis-county/article_d2003ca2-44ca-11ed-94aa-4f2d82aa2067.html