WACO, Texas — The Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center is looking to continue shedding light on the mental health crisis by adopting a long-standing program, Mental Health First Aid Training, and implementing it at their office.
“Anybody who earns the Mental Health First Aid certification really becomes a first responder before the first responders arrive,” said Vince Erickson, Public Information Officer for the Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center. “This can make a difference in saving lives.”
The training program, since its introduction in the U.S. in 2008, has seen more than a million people trained in mental health first aid by more than 12,000 instructors. The training program is open to anyone 18-years-old and older, and is an opportunity for people to become the first line of defense for people who might experience a mental health crisis and have no idea where to get help.
Jeni Sharp, the Mental Health First Aid Coordinator at the Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center in Waco said she has seen the stigma associated with mental health too many times and said now is the time to take a stand against it.
"People don't understand it, they don't understand whenever someone is hearing voices in their head and the way that they respond to those," Sharp said. "They don't understand when people behave in certain ways just because of their anxiety, their depression, they don't want to go out in public, they don't want to be around people. A lot of people are just scared and they don't understand."
According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of all mental disorders begin before people turn 14-years-old. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting 264 million people. The organization states that those who suffer from severe mental disorders tend to die 10-to-20 years earlier than the general population.
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based course that gives people the tools to identify, understand and respond to someone in the midst of a mental health crisis. Those who participate will learn how to understand depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance use. While they can't diagnose someone, Sharp said, they do have the chance to make a critical connection to help possibly save a life.
"I don't want people to be afraid to go and get help, I want people to know how to help people in those situations. It's beyond their control whenever they have those mental illnesses," she explained.
Sharp said the classes cost $35 for the public to take but are being offered for free to educators and education support staff because the minds of tomorrow need that help and assistance, especially as we make our way out of a pandemic.
"I would say it's very important because those little minds are growing and learning everyday," Sharp said about how important it is for teachers to become heavily involved. "Even though adults don't see the stress these kids go through, teachers are with these kids 8 to 12 hours and sometimes they see our kids more than we do."
If you would like to sign up for a class, you can register online and if you have any questions about the training, you are encouraged to reach out to via e-mail or call (254) 297-7007.