PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Similar to traditional first aid, Philadelphia’s Mental Health First Aid course teaches individuals tactical, mindful ways to approach and assist someone who is in emotional distress. It could be as easy as checking in on a co-worker or friend who seems down, to knowing how to intervene if someone shows signs of severe emotional turmoil.
Malik Gray with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services heads up the program.
“It's kind of just providing that bridge to say, "I recognize you're not okay, how can I help,” he said.
Over 43,000 people have completed the course. Sara Green from Philadelphia has taken it a few times and says it’s invaluable and one of the best investments you can make of your time. She says she suffered some challenges as a teenager and her teenage daughter has as well.
“It certainly has helped me be more sensitive and understanding to what she is going through and what her friends may be going through,” she said. “I’ve definitely been able to implement things that I’ve learned in the class.”
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She adds that she’s been able to put what she has learned to good use.
“We’re trying to assess first of all whether they are at risk for self-harm or harm to others, and then we want to help direct them to where they can get the appropriate care,” she said.
The class is eight hours and has been held both in person and virtually. Gray says the course also helps people recognize when more assistance is needed and gives tools and resources on who to contact for advanced cases of distress.
“We all deal with a level of depression or anxiety, we wouldn't necessarily be diagnosed with, but we definitely have some signs and symptoms of it,” she said. “We know that if it's not addressed, immediately, it could worsen.”
Through MHFA, more than 2.6 million people in the U.S. have been trained by over 25,000 certified Instructors to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. Peer-reviewed studies have proven that trained Mental Health First Aiders are more knowledgeable and confident when it comes to identifying and helping an individual in distress.
Philadelphia is one of the first metropolitan areas in the U.S. to implement MHFA on a large scale. The city offers the training free of charge for individuals who live, work, or study in Philadelphia.
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