Curry extension office to bring mental health first aid training to area

Curry County’s extension office will be participating in an effort to address the country’s response to a national mental health crisis.

According to a press release, the Curry County extension office will bring mental health first aid training to the area.

Youth mental health first aid, for adults working with young people ages 12-18, will be offered April 20 and adult mental health first aid will be May 18.

Both sessions will take place at the Clovis-Carver Public Library and will last from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Of the sessions, the news release states “pre-work is required.”

This groundbreaking skills-based course gives people the tools to identify, understand and respond to someone who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge — and connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

The news release reports one in five Americans has a mental illness, and the pandemic has dramatically increased depression and anxiety, but many are reluctant to seek help or don’t know where to turn for care.

Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.

The report also states 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 aid is described as a 5-step action plan that guides those who learn it through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

Mental health first aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States with more than 2.5 million people becoming certified mental health first aiders, “and that number is growing every day” states the news release.

For more information or to register for one of the trainings contact the Curry County Extension Office at (575) 763-6505 or email [email protected].