Mental Health First-aid Workshop
The Mental Health Commission of Canada will be offering an extensive twoday course on mental health first-aid on Tuesday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 25 at the Royal Canadian Legion that is open to the community to attend. The workshop will run from 8:30am to 4:00pm daily. The 12-hr course will explore how to deal with mental illness in a timely and appropriate manner when one comes in contact with the issue for the first time. Donna Bowyer at the Canadian Mental Health Association says the workshop will explore four modules: Mental Health and Mental Illness/ Addictions; Mood Disorders including Bi-Polar and Suicide; Anxiety Disorder Session and Psychosis including Schizophrenia. Bowyer says this is an important workshop for the community. “This is a training workshop that is excellent for anyone in regards to what your role is; whether you’re a manager, worker, friend or family member. We need to have the same training that’s available for physical first-aid training to be given to mental health first-aid because you’re more likely to be in contact with someone who is struggling with a mental health issue. The material is broken down into four modules on mental health first-aid. You’ll learn how to identify some of the signs and symptoms of a mental issue; how to respond if you are with someone who is struggling with such issue and a lot more. It is also a hands-on learning experience. We will also look at the different types of mental illnesses,” she explained.
The training workshop is open to anyone who would like to attend at a cost of $160 per participant. It is not restricted to any group(s). “I’ve done the training before and I’ve had variety of people who come who wants to learn about how to identify and respond to mental illness in a timely and appropriate manner whether it is at home, the workplace or with a family member or friend. This training just helps to keep our community healthier,” Bowyer added. Persons are encouraged to register for the program as early as possible.