Day #21: Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who is facing a mental health challenge or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps you identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses. As a self-care tool, it also teaches how to take care of your own mental health so that you “don’t pour from an empty cup” as our trainer, Janine Sullivan-Wiley, likes to say in her trainings.

Like First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid training is for the general public. Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis, or how to help someone seek help before a challenge becomes a crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.

The main strategy Mental Health First Aid teaches is ALGEE. Not only is this the mnemonic for a 5-step action plan, it’s also the name of the Mental Health First Aid koala mascot.

A ssess for risk of suicide or harm
L isten nonjudgmentally
G ive reassurance and information
E ncourage appropriate professional help
E ncourage self-help and other support strategies

Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) is one of many organizations that provides Mental Health First Aid training to the community. Many trainings have been made possible thanks to grant funding and community support. The Hartford is continuing its partnership with MHC in 2021 with a grant to support Mental Health First Aid training for 100 individuals serving Hartford-area nonprofits in a board, staff, or volunteer capacity. The Hartford has supported MHC through grant funding since 2013.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health challenges facing many Americans, who may not know where to turn for help or need assistance with other critical needs,” said The Hartford’s Head of Community Relations AnnMarie LaBreck. “We are pleased to partner with Mental Health Connecticut to provide Mental Health First Aid training to our nonprofit partners in the Greater Hartford region. This training will help create a more supportive community for those facing these challenges by engaging empathy and projecting hope.”

At MHC we have trainers who provide this virtual course to the community. Two of them, Laureen Guerriero and Janine Sullivan-Wiley teamed up to talk about their experience in delivering this training and the importance of this self-care tool for #31Tools2Thrive.

Now that you’ve heard about the benefits of Mental Health First Aid from two of our trainers, learn from recently certified Mental Health First Aiders who went through the virtual course this spring:

“At the beginning of the training, they asked everyone about their reason for taking the course. Mine was simple – I never got the chance to meet my grandmother because there was no one in her life able to see the signs and symptoms of her crisis or help her get the help she needed. Her generation didn’t talk about ‘such things’ and she died by suicide. I want to know how to help people like my grandmother. I want to be that voice, that shoulder to lean on, an educated provider of resources to connect individuals to who and what they need to heal. I do it for her and I hope she’d be proud of me.” – Jackie Davis

“The Mental Health First Aid training was such an incredible experience and is such a valuable skill for our Mental Well Being tool belts. We all walked away with the ability to talk safely to someone in crisis. As well learned the appropriate resources to refer someone to. For me this opportunity was so incredibly healing. It allows me to now give back for all those time during my journey that I struggled and someone was there and able to help me.” – Sean Smedley

“I first took Mental Health First Aid training in 2016. I am so glad I took the course again in 2021. The core concept of being a support system and resource for your friends and family and community members still exists, but the content is updated and takes a whole health approach. Our trainers did an excellent job of helping us have those important ‘aha’ moments and keep us engaged. The best part for me happened at the end of the day. I had been struggling to help a family member who was going through a very difficult time. Some of the newly trained First Aiders stuck around to help me sort through some action steps and connect me with other resources, and it was a tremendous help. True First Aider support in action!!” – Suzi Craig

Happy FUNdraiserFriday!
Mental Health First Aid trainer, MHC Development Committee Co-Chair, and longtime supporter of MHC, Laureen G is one of our dedicated FUNdraisers helping us reach our goal of raising $31,000 by May 31. Learn more about why Laureen is passionate about this cause at https://mhconn.networkforgood.com/projects/127503-laureen-guerriero-s-fundraiser and show your support with a donation today!