It definitely isn't something you think about everyday, but most of the people you interact with and encounter on a daily basis are suffering from a mental illness.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one out of every five adults in the United States experience mental illness each year.
If one of your co-workers, friends, or loved ones was having a mental crisis, would you know what to do?
Many are trained on how to help someone who is choking, having a heart attack, or even someone who has a broken bone. Now you can learn how to help those who, many times, suffer in silence.
The 8-hour training program teaches you:
- Common signs & symptoms of mental illness
- Common signs & symptoms of substance abuse
- How to interact with a person in crisis
- How to connect the person with help
- How to administer Naloxone (the medicine that can counteract an opioid overdose)
“Most of us would know how to help if we saw someone having a heart attack—we’d start CPR, or at the very least, call 9-1-1," said Kris LaBonne, Goodwill Industries of Arkansas Training Manager.
"But too few of us would know how to respond if we saw someone having a panic attack or if we were concerned that a friend or co-worker might be showing signs of alcoholism," she said.
“Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance abuse problems by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental illness or substance use disorder,” she explained.
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas will host its first class Friday, June 14 at 7400 Scott Hamilton Drive in Little Rock. Spots are still available.
Additional classes will be held August 23, October 25 and December 6 at the same location.
The cost to cover the certification is $125 per person. Group prices are available. Call 501-372-5100 ext. 1192 to register.