Please note that this post discusses some topics that might be distressing for some people. I will be discussing what it means to be a mental health first aid provider and some examples of where my skills may be needed. Reader disgression is advised.
For the second time, I am a certified Mental Health First Aider.
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You might be wondering what this means and I'm sure you are familiar with a traditionally certified first aid provider. Instead of providing physical first aid by assessing a person in need of help in the form of bandages, CPR, and recovery positions, I am able to assess a person in need of mental health intervention.
This can take a few form such as talking to a person who is displaying behavioral changes or signs of mental distress, providing first step information on being treated for mental health illnesses, and deescalating mental health distress. It does not mean that I am able to diagnose a person, provide medical advice or treatment plans, or serve as a person's therapist. Just as a regular first aider doesn't need to have a medical license, I don't need one either.
I was able to take the mental health first aid course because my company offered to pay for me to take it. The company likes to have a set number of employees who certified to ensure a healthy work environment. They paid for my first certification back in 2023. This certification lasts for three years as well.
Do I recommend getting certified in regular first aid and mental health first aid? Yes, though I haven't had the opportunity to be regular first aid certified since high school. They both serve the purpose of providing aid to people in distress.
Believe it or not, I have actually used my mental health first aid certification a few times. I won't go into details, but I have had to deescalate a couple of situations where my training came in handy and was able to identify someone having a crisis. For that person, it was at a work event. I assessed the situation and found that it was likely above my skill level and immediately contacted the right parties to handle the situation.
The reason I didn't approach the person in crisis is simple: as the first aider, my safety is also important. If I don't think a situation would be safe for me, I need to be able to contact those who can handle it. Though you can call 911 for a mental health crisis or challenge, 988 is the better number to use. Most counties and city in the United States have trained personnel that handle people in mental distress than the regular police.
988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the United States.
Additionally, a person experiencing a mental health challenge can go or be taken to the emergency room. There they can be physiologically evaluated and given first steps in healing.
Now, you may be getting the impression from all this that a mental health crisis or challenge is someone who is actively suicidal, has a personality disorder that hasn't been addressed, or is experiencing psychosis. While those can occur, most mental health first aid is given to people who aren't at those stages. I am more likely to notice and assess a pattern of behaviors and encourage a person to seek medical intervention, rather than talk down someone having hallucinations.
The purpose of being a mental health first aider is to provide early intervention for a person experiencing a mental health challenge so that it doesn't develop into a crisis. It is an unfortunate fact that the majority of people wait ten or more years to seek help after the first mental health challenge symptoms take place. However, the vast majority of mental health challenges are recoverable.
I could go on about the different types of mental health challenges I can provide first aid for, but a lot of them are distressing to the average person. Hell, they distress on an average day. Which is why my training includes a heavy emphasis on self-care plans and my own safety.
Earlier, I mentioned that there was a situation that I felt was above my skill level. This feeling included my personal safety and the safety of those around me. I am not exactly the biggest person and the type of distress the person was experiencing wasn't clear. Instead of approaching the person in crisis, I contacted those who were better trained to - i.e. a building's security guard and the health clinic employees who were on location - and kept other people at a safe distance. The security guard was great, by the way, and kept the person calm until the clinic employees arrived.
That was the best course of action I could take in that situation.
I do hope that mental health challenges and illnesses do become less stigmatized. Part of that process involves learning and knowing what to do when you see someone having a mental health challenge. Sometimes these situations are easy to spot and other times it subtle, requiring you to already be familiar with the person. It is important to not be dismissive, provide a non-judgmental space, and encourage that person to seek help. If you think a person is suicidal, it is better to be direct in addressing it as neutrally as possible and calling 988 or 911 right away.
If you are interested in mental health first aid certification, I got mine through the National Council for Mental Health. Their mental health training can be tailored for adults, children, and adolescence. From what I understand, they also have a training program for law enforcement.
Being a first aider is not for everyone, but I encourage everyone to at least look into the training. Understanding and knowing how to help someone in a mental health challenge or crisis can be a critical step in that person's recovery. You never know when you might need to have these skills.
Until next week.
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