The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA—Providence St. Mary Medical Center will offer a free Mental Health First Aid training July 24 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Providence Room on Level 1 of the hospital.

This eight-hour training course gives people the tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

One in five Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not get them until it is too late.

Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

Previous sessions of this training have filled quickly, and space is limited. Registration is required. To register for the free training or for more information, email Rebecca.Betts@providence.org.