Horizons Mental Health Center, a Member of the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, is proud to begin offering Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) USA Youth to the Reno County community.
Sarah Kocher, LMSW, Karen Reyes and Teryn Irvin, employees of Horizons Mental Health Center and certified Mental Health First Aid-Adult instructors, attended the state-wide MHFA-Youth instructor certification training in July of 2013.
Mental Health First Aid-Youth is an 8-hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and most importantly, teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge.
MHFA uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis, select interventions and provide initial help, and connect young people to professional, peer, social and self-help care.
Horizons will be offering one general community session for Reno County residents on May 6th and May 7th from 8:00AM to 1:00PM at Dillon Nature Center in Hutchinson, Kansas. Attendance to both training days is required for certification and continuing education.
To register, please call Teryn Irvin at 620-931-2354.
As many as 70,000 Kansas children under age 18 have emotional/behavioral problems, and many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. The symptoms of mental illness can be difficult to detect. Even when friends and family of someone who appears to be developing a mental illness can tell that something is amiss, they may not know how to intervene or direct the person to proper treatment, which means that all too often, those in need of mental health services do not get them until it is too late. As a society, we largely remain ignorant about the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and we ignore our role as responsible community members to help adolescents experiencing these challenges.
Horizons hopes that through this program, we can increase the community’s ability to identify mental health and substance abuse issues early and for community members to increase their confidence to intervene and make referrals to resources within our community.
Mike Garrett, M.S., LCP, Chief Executive Officer of Horizons Mental Health Center, says, “Mental Health First Aid-Youth has the potential to reduce stigma, improve mental health literacy, and empower individuals-creating a stronger, more prepared network of support for adolescents in our community struggling with mental health challenges.”
Horizons Mental Health Center provides comprehensive mental and behavior healthcare services to people living in Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt and Reno Counties.