Behavioral Health offering mental health training in November

Oct. 27--Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health iCARE will offer free virtual Mental Health First Aid training in November to residents, businesses and organizations in the Yuba-Sutter area.

"Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews appropriate supports," according to a press release issued by Behavioral Health.

Sarah Eberhardt-Rios, branch director of Health and Human Services for SYBH, said the department is able to offer the course with prevention and early intervention funding from the state to offer community education on behavioral health topics to members of the public.

"It's part of our operational mission to share educational resources, offer training and host conversations about behavioral health issues with our community," said Eberhardt-Rios. "People who take MHFA say the training is really helpful, offering practical and useful information on behavioral health issues. We wanted to be sure that we're offering a really good course like MHFA locally to our communities, too."

According to the release, the course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to offer initial help in a mental health crisis and connect people to the appropriate professional, peer, social and self-help care.

"The program also teaches common risk factors and warning signs of specific illnesses like anxiety, depression, substance use, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and schizophrenia," according to the release.

"Mental health issues are just like any other health issue and it's important for folks to know the basics about behavioral health conditions," said Eberhardt-Rios. "Just like we all have an awareness of CPR and general first aid, we should all have an awareness of mental health first aid. This course is really for everyone -- you don't need to be a professional or a clinician to take it. Just like we can learn first aid for bumps and bruises, we can learn mental health first aid."

Courses will be offered Nov. 5, Nov. 6 and Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Eberhardt-Rios said the course requires two hours of precourse work, and the course itself is six hours long.

"We hope that doesn't discourage folks from signing up," said Eberhardt-Rios. "The course can be offered in one day for the full six hours, or we can offer it over a two-day period at three hours per day for the training. Folks that take the MHFA course say the time commitment is absolutely worth it."

According to Eberhardt-Rios, there are more than 100 dates over the next several months and into next year that the certified trainers are available to teach the course and the county plans to schedule many more opportunities to take the free course in the future. The county is also offering training specifically for organizations, groups or individuals within the community and can accommodate at least five people up to 30 at a time.

"We want to offer this course far and wide and will work with groups or individuals to offer MHFA to as many community members as possible," said Eberhardt-Rios.

For more information, contact Eberhardt-Rios or Dawn Redmond at 822-7200 ext. 2220, or email [email protected].

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