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Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems by improving, understanding, and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental illness or substance use disorder.

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Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.  Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people.  Darkness to Light (aka Stewards of Children®) is an evidence-informed 2-hour training session that teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.  Older Adult Mental Health First Aid is a positive and valuable experience in learning how to assist and support older adults who may be experiencing a mental health or substance abuse challenge by getting certified in an evidenced based, early intervention training program. Older adults have high rates of late-onset mental health challenges, like anxiety and depression, and low rates of identification an treatment  Whether you need to assist today or years from now, this certification gives you the confidence you need to have the conversations that will allow older adults to live as comfortable and independently as possible.

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Each of these certification sessions cover the common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges; how to interact with a person in crisis; how to connect a person with help and expanded content on trauma, substance use and self-care.   The YMHFA also covers topics of anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

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If your congregation or organization would like to partner with DCBC to bring MHFA and/or YMHFA to your church or community, please email us.  These trainings are offered in-person and virtually.  We will help you identify which option is best for your congregation/organization.