Mental Health First Aid

What will you learn? When you take a course, you learn how to apply the Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing: * Panic attacks * Suicidal thoughts or behaviors * Nonsuicidal self-injury * Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions) * Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use * Reaction to a traumatic event The opportunity to practice — through role plays, scenarios, and activities — makes it easier to apply these skills in a real-life situation. Before you can know how to help, you need to know when to help. We call this _mental health literacy_ – or a basic understanding of what different mental illnesses and addictions are, how they can affect a person’s daily life, and what helps individuals experiencing these challenges get well. You learn about: * Depression and mood disorders * Anxiety disorders * Trauma * Psychosis * Substance Use disorders MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TEACHES ABOUT _recovery _and _resiliency _– the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well. INTERVENTIONS LEARNED When you take a course, you learn how to apply the Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing: * Panic attacks * Suicidal thoughts or behaviors * Nonsuicidal self-injury * Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions) * Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use * Reaction to a traumatic event The opportunity to practice — through role plays, scenarios, and activities — makes it easier to apply these skills in a real-life situation. MHFA trifold [http://adultandchild.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MHFA-Tri-Fold_060717-1.pdf]