Mental Health First Aid Train More Instructors for Pomona Valley

The Inland Empire was very lucky to have a worldwide program stop by our region. The Mental Health First Aid USA program is meant to help our loved ones, neighbors and coworkers. Currently there are 30-40 certified trainers in the Pomona area. These trainers will soon be posting dates for certifications in Mental Health First Aid USA. Mental health effects 1 in 4 Americans personally and everyone in some way. The purpose of the program is to educate adults who do not work in the mental health field how to handle a situation that requires mental health "first aid". Communication skills are emphasized in the 12 hour certification course. How do you talk to someone who's personal and professional lives have lost their meaning? Sometimes the stigma of mental health may prevent a concerned friend or colleague from getting involved. It also can come from lack of skills.

The Inland Empire is home to many diverse cultures. The benefit of sharing the proper way to speak to someone who may or may not be willing to accept help can improve our entire community. The program can be personalized and there are bilingual instructors available. In the next few months there should be a several Mental Health First Aid USA certification courses available.

This course is not meant to take the place of a professional in the mental health field. First aid is covered for depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. Certainly all city departments, military bases, and schools can benefit from participating in future courses.

I was lucky to be selected to be a trainer for the program. Although sharing was optional, spending 40 hours a week with a small group makes it easy to grow together through the training. The program is going to do a lot of great things in getting rid of the stigma of mental health. It's another hat to wear while I work with the public in marketing. The information is easy to understand and easily adapted to real life situations. My perspective on national news involving any mental illness is now unbiased. I also realize how hard it is for people who have a mental health issue to speak up to anyone and expect something other than, "You'll get over it. It's just temporary." It may or may not be. When I hear someone talking to themselves I realize it isn't as frightening to me as it used to be. I saw two car accidents in the Inland Empire in the past two weeks. Each time I was out of reach to help. What I saw was inspiring. Many cars stopped and I saw people running to give first aid to people involved in the accidents. When I called 911 the accidents were already reported. Within one minute. There are so many positive people who live in the Inland Empire who know CPR. We should get as many people as we can trained in first aid for mental health. We should be able to run to rescue someone whose injuries may be invisible to everyone but those of us who have gone through Mental Health First Aid.

Mental Health First Aid was founded in Australia by Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm. It was brought to the United States by Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Missouri Department of Mental Health, and National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Special thanks to Tri City Mental Health for hosting the Mental Health First AidTraining.

Mental Health First Aid (2011)http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/cs/