The Let’s Talk Lkld: Health Care forum (page 10) generated a great discussion on not only what healthcare professionals can do to better serve the public but also what individuals can do to improve their own health and the health of their loved ones and neighbors.
Of all the actions that were proposed, one in particular piqued quite a bit of interest: mental health first aid. Lakeland Regional Health’s Dr. Daniel Haight was the first to mention it early in the conversation, but the audience was hungry for more details and was quick to revisit the topic in the final Q&A session.
Haight explained that mental health first aid is essentially training that “helps you recognize who is in trouble not by being judgemental but by being there and asking the right questions.”
The training, which he says is especially relevant for individuals like coaches, educators, and office workers, teaches people how to identify someone who needs help and to feel comfortable asking if they need help. It also includes knowing the warning signs of suicide and understanding how to talk to a person about those signs.
Haight encouraged people to seek out mental health first aid training as a key part of the community approach to healthcare.
For more information about mental health first aid, go to https://www.peacerivercenter.org/mhfa/.