Seminars to teach Mental Health First Aid

Feb. 20--Anyone who wants to save a heart-attack victim can learn CPR. But Good Samaritans can also get training for a different sort of emergency: A mentally ill person who is about to harm themselves or others.

Almost 1,000 Palm Beach County residents have learned how to react in such tense predicaments through Mental Health First Aid, an Australian program that arrived in the United States in 2008. More than 300,000 Americans have taken the training, which offers ways to identify a problem, de-escalate conflict and learn who to contact in a strained situation.

In Palm Beach County, police officers, Sheriff's deputies, guidance counselors, teachers and an assortment of people who work with the public have taken the eight-hour crash course. The Alpert Jewish Family and Children's Service, with offices in West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach, has assigned a full-time employee to teach participants.

"It's high-impact and low cost," said Elaine Rotenberg, the family service's clinical director. "It teaches people how to recognize risk factors and reduces the stigma of mental illness."

The course will be offered over two days at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The classes work to demystify mental illness by explaining symptoms of disorders such as psychosis, panic attacks and depression, and how to communicate with someone who appears irrational or manic.

Some police officers are trained in how to handle these emergencies, but not all of them. More than 1,600 of 2,400 Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies have taken a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training course, according to the Sheriffs Office. More than 600 have taken the shorter crash course offered by the family service.

There have been several instances in recent years when Palm Beach County deputies were accused of shooting mentally ill people. Last year, a deputy was accused of killing Matthew Pollow, who the Sheriff's Office said was charging at deputies with a screwdriver. And Tinoris Williams was shot when a deputy said Williams reached for the deputy's gun and Taser. Both men had histories of mental illness.

Pam Cohen, the family service's trainer, said most mentally ill people are not violent, and are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators.

"Our goal is to get the ordinary citizen who doesn't have a background in mental illness to learn how to take immediate action to help a mentally ill person," Cohen said. "It's not to teach someone how to diagnose or counsel."

The training teaches participants how to listen to what the mentally ill person is saying and assess his or her risk of suicide or harm. The seminars include definitions of an assortment of illnesses as well as videos and role-playing.

"They will learn to feel secure in approaching people who are displaying emotional problems or a need for help," said Rita Thrasher, executive director of Boca Raton's Promise, the seminar's sponsor.

Lsolomon@tribpub.com

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Mental Health First Aid For Adults

WHEN: Monday and Tuesday, 12:30 to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Boca Raton Regional Hospital, 800 Meadows Road, Boca Raton

INFORMATION: Seminar is almost full; call Pam Cohen at 561-238-0251. Additional training will be offered in March and April.

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