For several years, Princeton Health Community Wellness instructors have trained local health care professionals and private citizens in basic first aid and CPR. For the first time — starting next month — Community Wellness will begin offering mental health first aid as well. “Our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment identified behavioral health services as a priority, and we view this type of training as a critical resource,” said Deborah Millar, director of Community Wellness.
Eleven staff members, including Community Wellness instructors and Princeton House Behavioral Health counselors, recently received training that will enable them to teach educational programs in mental health first aid. While classes are open to everyone, some categories of professionals — for example, EMTs or school teachers and counselors — are likely candidates for mental health first aid due to the nature of their jobs. Princeton Health hopes to educate the general public as well.
The eight-hour training is designed to help participants identify individuals who may be dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety, substance use, eating disorders, trauma, psychosis, and deliberate self-injury. “People who participate in the class won’t become mental health professionals overnight. But they will learn how to recognize the symptoms of someone experiencing mental health issues, offer and provide initial assistance, and then help guide the individual to appropriate professional help,” Millar said.
The new education programs will be offered at Community Wellness’ locations in Princeton, Princeton Junction, South Brunswick, and Hamilton as well as by request at other locations — for example, schools and government or corporate offices — where there are several individuals who want to receive the mental health first-aid training.