Mental Health First Aid training offered at BBCC

MOSES LAKE —Members of the community are invited to take a new mental health training course being offered at Big Bend Community College this quarter.

Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training that teaches participants about mental health and substance use issues. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.

In the Mental Health First Aid course, participants will 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 8-hour training will give participants the skills needed to provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Participants will also receive national certification in Mental Health First Aid after completing the training.

More than 2 million people across the United States have been trained in Mental Health First Aid. This training can be beneficial to many people, including faith leaders, teachers, first responders, employers and other caring individuals.

The course will be offered twice this quarter, on both Feb. 21 and March 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Community members can sign up for either date without having to apply for admission to the college.

The course cost is about $139. Current students can also take this course, which is a one-credit Social Science course.

“This course will provide knowledge of the most prevalent mental health problems people may encounter in our communities,” said BBCC instructor Ryann Leonard. “Students will learn symptoms and criteria needed to recognize someone in mental health crisis. Students will also discuss the stigma associated with mental health in the United States and ways to promote positive mental health.”

Going forward, this course will be offered once a quarter at BBCC.

For more information, or for help registering for the course, email RyannL@bigbend.edu or HeidiG@bigbend.edu.