Mental health training will teach St. Joseph residents how to handle crises

By Kyle Schmidt

Many go through medical trainings for skills like CPR, but learning how to handle mental health emergencies is vital as well, which is why a Mental Health First Aid workshop is coming to St. Joseph next week to help teach residents what to do in crises.

Benedictine Living Community is teaming up with Preferred Family Health for Mental Health First Aid training that will take place Wednesday, Aug. 7, and will be about a seven-hour class for those who have registered. 

Mental health training specialist Laney Partin works with Preferred Family Health Care in the prevention department. She will be one of the teachers during the course. 

“This will be our first training at the Benedictine community center,” Partin said. “I’m excited to meet some new contacts and meet new people there.”

Mental Health First Aid is a program that teaches people signs and symptoms of mental health challenges or crises. Missouri and Maryland were the first two states in the U.S. to adopt Mental Health First Aid.

“It takes about six and a half hours and after everyone has completed the instructor-lead portion they will do a quick questionnaire at the end online,” Partin said. “Then they will be able to download their certificate from there that will last them three years.”

She notices teachers and health care providers get the most use out of the course while some use it to put on their resume. 

“So there is adult Mental Health First Aid, which is specific for adults who work with adults,” Partin said. “Then there’s also youth Mental Health First Aid that we teach as well, which is for adults that associate with youth.”

Not only are people able to learn how to help others and understand them more, Partin sees a lot of the people learn about themselves as well.

“One thing we preach when we talk about mental health and first aid is that we don’t diagnose and we don’t treat,” Partin said. “It is just a tool that we add on. It does put a lot of the puzzle pieces together.”

Registration is closed for this class at this time, but those interested can learn more about the training and courses at https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/.