By Bill Petzold
Editor
CARO — When people hear the term “first aid,” their first thoughts likely involve bandages, splints and training courses for CPR or the Heimlich maneuver.
But Tuscola Behavioral Health Systems is offering another type of first aid training to equip individuals with the knowledge they need to help someone dealing with the effects of a mental illness.
The goal of the program is to help educate people to improve their understanding of mental health so they can help identify and respond to signs of mental illness.
“It would be like in a first aid emergency if someone broke an arm,” explained Michael Swarthwood, ACT supervisor for TBHS (ACT stands for assertive community treatment). “First aid responders — if you have a first aid certification — you would come in and treat (a person with a broken arm) until you could get them professional help. It’s the same thing with mental health. If I encountered someone in the community who was depressed, suicidal or had some type of mental breakdown, I could help them until they could get to professional help, or I could get them to professional help. So it’s giving people enough knowledge and background in mental health to help them and be with them and support them until professionals can take over, just like in regular first aid.”
Mental Health First Aid teaches a five-step action plan, described by the acronym ALGEE. Attendees are taught to (A)ssess for risk of suicide or harm; (L)isten nonjudgmentally; (G)ive reassurance and information; (E)ncourage appropriate professional help and (E)ncourage self-help and other support strategies.
TBHS offers eight-hour training courses, the next one planned for March 25 in Caro. Call Susan Holder, director of marketing and training for TBHS at (989) 673-6191 to find out more or register for the class. Holder explained that thanks to a grant from the Tuscola County Community Foundation, TBHS is able to offer the classes for free at this time.
“This is about taking away the stigma associated with mental health in general, just giving the community information regarding mental health and what the appropriate steps are,” Holder said. “With mental health first aid, if you see someone who is going through depression, anxiety, a substance use disorder; by taking the class you’re getting the skills you need to feel comfortable approaching an individual. Even with suicide. Some people just are not comfortable asking a person ‘Are you thinking about killing yourself?’ … With mental health first aid it’s very interactive, so individuals who take the class have that comfort level to know how to ask or approach a person. And they also have the resources. We give the individuals a variety of resources that are available in Tuscola County, as well as national resources.”
“I think too with giving them information just helps people feel more confident dealing with or working with people who are experiencing symptoms, or when you talk about people who are maybe seeing things or hearing things … we do teach de-escalation techniques, so if somebody is hearing voices, talking to themselves and getting agitated, we teach skills concerning how to help so you don’t make the situation worse, and can help calm them down until the help they need can arrive,” Swarthwood said.
There are two Mental Health First Aid class sections offered: one dealing with assisting adults and one to learn to recognize signs of mental illness in youth.
“The youth class is focused on individuals who may be working with youth from age 11 to 24 years of age; it could be even younger,” Holder said. “We’re trying to get more and more teachers, coaches and community members in general aware of it because we know that recovery for a younger person — getting them the help and the assistance they need at an earlier age — benefits everyone.”
TBHS CEO Sharon Beals explained that the concept of Mental Health First Aid originated in Australia in 2001 and was brought to the United States in 2008 by the National Council for Behavioral Health.
“President Obama and Governor Snyder both have referenced either Mental Health First Aid or a similar program in their State of the State or State of the Union addresses, so there’s certainly both national and state recognition for the program and the value of getting this kind of program into our communities,” Beals said. “Certainly we see that as one of our roles as the community mental health organization: to provide whatever education we can within the community.”
For more information about TBHS and the services it provides, visit tbhsonline.com or call (989) 673-6181. TBHS has a “No Wrong Door” policy, which means that no matter how you contact TBHS, if you are in need of assistance you will receive the help you need.
Bill Petzold is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. He can be reached at petzold@tcadvertiser.com.