Mental Health First Aid gives you good, actionable things to do when you see someone struggling. If there was a person choking, you’d want to do the Heimlich, or you’d want to have someone who knew CPR, but when someone is having a panic attack or an anxiety attack, I wasn’t sure what actionable steps to take.

I heard about Mental Health First Aid from a church member and immediately saw the need. I come in contact with various individuals who are having a mental health crisis, either themselves or in their family. I’ve taken regular first aid, and I’ve used both, but certainly the opportunities to use Mental Health First Aid are much more abundant.

The situation involved a young 24-year-old Army combat veteran suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and a myriad of other issues….He said he had not slept in five days…the voices in his head were so loud that he couldn’t sleep. At first the voices would tell him to hurt himself, and now the voices were telling him to kill himself…I asked him several times, ‘How can I help you?’ and told him to please ‘let me help you.’ He replied that he didn’t think anything could help him. I asked him directly, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ He said he probably would be better off. Then I asked, ‘What would you like to do?’ and ‘What do you think you need to do?’ There was a long pause before he said, ‘One of the voices in my head is telling to check myself into the psychiatric unit at the VA hospital.’ I repeated what he had said, and he said again that he would like to get some help. So,I said, ‘Then that’s what we are going to do.’…Later, the young man called to let me know he arrived at the hospital and was checking himself in. I told him how proud I was of him for getting the help he needed.

The training was well-received by our staff….Focusing on mental health has helped to develop a shared sense of caring in our school district and in the community. Additionally, it has answered many of the questions our staff members faced after experiencing the heartache of student suicides. Finally, parents and community members know that we are doing everything we can to protect the overall health our most valuable assets —our students.”–Robert Underwood, Superintendent of Indian Lake Local Schools (via Ohio.gov)“The course taught me how to get students the help they need, especially in an emergency.

Since completing training, I’ve noticed that there is more conversation about mental health among members of our team, and that is helping reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health issues. People at the Clifton Fire Department are using what they learned in the course in their personal lives as well as their professional lives.

The day after I completed the training, my usually reliable friend didn’t come to church services, which was out of character. My roommate and I were concerned because we knew she was struggling with depression and anxiety, so we texted her. She responded that she was having a really bad time and she decided to stay home. It was a red flag, so we left early and went to see her….As soon as we walked into her apartment, the ALGEE action plan I had learned in the training clicked in….She’s working with a counselor and doing much better now. She still has her ups and downs, but when I see her, she seems to be dealing well with her challenges. I’m not sure how differently things would have gone if I hadn’t had a plan to follow in that situation. But thanks to my Mental Health First Aid training, I didn’t have to find out.

Our small community, Camanche, Iowa, has been greatly affected by suicide. We have suffered 22 losses during the last 15 years. The knowledge we all took away from [Mental Health First Aid] was priceless. From the moment this class began we were able to relate to the information that was provided to us due to the great communication skills and knowledge of the two Instructors. While mental health is a topic that many wish to not discuss, we feel that the Mental Health First Aid class was essential in bringing the knowledge and awareness our community is striving for. This program is a top-notch service to area communities like ours and we are so grateful for the opportunity to have this program in our area.