Mental Health First aid

The most powerful organ in our body is the brain. This class prepares our officers to assist with a variety of mental health emergencies, a critical skillset for our Care and Safety Teams that are constantly interacting with community members and houseless individuals.

Training Description: Participants learn how to respond in a mental health emergency and offer support to someone who appears to be in emotional distress. In a basic First Aid class we learn that a Band-aid does not fix every injury. In Mental Health First Aid, participants learn that we cannot always help everyone and not everyone experiencing a mental health emergency has a mental disorder. The class teaches basic knowledge and skills to respond to an individual in distress including signs and symptoms of a variety of diagnosable mental disorders. Participants will learn about ways to help support someone that may not need professional treatment for what they are experiencing as well as possible ways to assist in specific situations. The class goes over the recovery paradigm, myths of mental disorders and what role team members can play in Mental Health First Aid.