Course offered in first-aid training for mental health

TORRINGTON — A free, two-day Mental Health First Aid training course will take place Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Torrington Area Health District, 350 Main St. To register, visit www.mhconn.org/education/ mental-health-first-aid

Like CPR, mental health first aid training prepares community members with tools to interact with a person in crisis and connect the person with help. First aiders do not take on the role of professionals and do not diagnose or provide therapy; instead, they use concrete tools learned in the eight-hour certificate training course and answer questions about what to do and where someone may find help.

The goal is to promote the well-being of residents through direct services and wellness programs, according to Robert Rubbo, health director for the Torrington Area Health District.“We are happy to sponsor this much-needed education to the public,” he said. “Mental Health First Aid gives community members the tools they need to help someone who’s struggling and eliminates the misconceptions that act as barriers to seeking help and treatment.”

Mental health disorders are common: In any given year, one in five Americans has a mental illness, and at one point in their lives, half of all Americans will struggle with a mental health disorder.

“Our goal, and the goal of the Federal Government expressed both through bipartisan funding of trainings nationwide and by the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, is clear,” says mental health first aid instructor Valerie English Cooper. “Let’s make Mental Health First Aid as common as CPR.”

For information, contact Valerie English Cooper at venglishcooper@mhconn.org, 860-4716715, or visit www.mhconn.org/ education/mental-health-firstaid.