Mental Health First Aid Training
It’s easy to tell when someone is having a heart attack, is choking or can’t breathe. But what does depression look like? Anxiety? Would you know how to respond if someone says they are considering suicide?
Evidence-based program
Recognize symptoms and reduce stigma
MHFAT is an evidence-based program that will increase our knowledge and understanding about mental health problems in order to help us recognize symptoms and reduce stigma. MHFAT encourages community members to connect and help each other because sometimes professional help is difficult to access. MHFAT will provide us a 5-step mental health first aid action plan and resources so we can properly help someone in need because it is difficult for them to do so by themselves.
Relevant
MHFAT is relevant to us because mental health problems are very common.
In surveys conducted on OSU campus in 2016, more than half of the surveyed students reported feeling “overwhelming anxiety” in the previous year. Almost 40% reported being so depressed that it was difficult to function at some point within the previous 12 months. Less than a quarter of students surveyed reported knowing where to go on campus to seek professional help for mental and emotional health. (Data courtesy of CAPS)
No-cost
Currently, MHFAT is being offered by Samaritan Health Services at no-cost.
Here’s a link to the upcoming trainings currently offered at no-cost at Samaritan Health Services, if you’d like to get your training on a different day than is offered on campus.