or an anxiety attack, I wasn’t sure what actionable steps to take.

but certainly the opportunities to use Mental Health First Aid are much more abundant.

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.

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.

their personal lives as well as their professional lives.

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.

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.