WELLINGTON COUNTY – The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) is hosting a two-day virtual workshop on how to provide support to individuals who may be experiencing a decline in their mental health.
The virtual workshop, Mental Health First Aid Standard, will be held Nov. 25 and 26 from 12 to 4pm. It will consist of a two to four hour self-directed module and two three to four hour live virtual sessions.
Mental Health First Aid is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis, CHMA WW officials say.
CMHA WW team lead for mental health promotion and education services Katrina Burch said the core of the course is about supporting others – whether it be coworkers, family members, or community members.
“The overarching general idea is that it provides the general population, people in our community, the understanding of mental health as well as an understanding of signs and symptoms to recognize when someone might be seeing a decline in their mental health or they’re experiencing a mental health crisis and then connecting them to the appropriate resources,” she explained.
Burch noted not only are they hearing about the decline in people’s mental health from surveys, but CMHA WW is also witnessing firsthand in its Here 24/7 phone line that its numbers have drastically increased.
The course is designed to help individuals learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis.
Once they recognize the signs, CMHA WW encourages people to:
– talk about declines in their mental well-being;
– discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being;
– reach out to these supports; and
– assist in a mental health or substance use crisis.
“It’s a lot more obvious when someone’s experiencing a physical health issue as opposed to a mental health issue so this is really that basis for it,” Burch explained.
“What we know right now is that through the pandemic people’s mental health is declining, people are struggling.”
Burch said the second portion of the course on self-care will be focusing in on what self-care actually is.
“A lot of people think of it as a bubble bath or retail therapy but when we talk about self-care, it’s really about those practical things to set yourself up for success.”
For more details on the standard virtual course, visit https://www.mhfa.ca/en/course-type/mhfa-standard-virtual.
Approximately two to three weeks before the virtual live modules (Nov. 25 and 26), participants will be emailed a link and an Ecode to complete the self-directed module (Module 1) and access your MHFA Participant Reference Guide and course materials.
Participants are required to complete Module 1 in order to participate in Modules 2 and 3, be present for the entire course in order to receive a certificate and have their camera on during the live modules.
The cost of the course is $180 per person. Organizers recommend registering early as space is limited. Contact workshops@cmhaww.ca with any questions about the course or registration,
For those interested in participating in the workshop, visit https://cmhaww.ca/events/mental-health-first-aid-virtual/.
