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Trainers continue efforts to reduce mental health stigma

Kerrville Daily Times (TX) - 6/11/2016

June 11--Local mental health officials are once again offering public first aid courses to increase training and awareness of mental health issues in the community.

The Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Center has taught mental health first aid courses, which teach people about how to properly assess and address people with a mental illness, since 2014. Staff with the Trauma Informed Care Services Department travel around Kerr County educating people about mental health issues and raising awareness about what resources are available for people with mental health issues and people who offer first aid.

"At one of our locations, a man came in one day and said he had passed by the building every day and never realized what it was," said Donn Edgington, instructor with MHDD. "There are resources out there. Many people think there is no recovery in a mental health issue situation. But there is help available and recovery is possible."

Kim Williamson, course instructor, said the courses have trained teachers, first responders and many other people in the community.

"We've had a very positive response," Williamson said. "People find the tools they learn during the class to be very helpful for them during their jobs."

Edgington said the training staff covers 19 counties with 10 different instructors. He said the main benefit of the first aid program is raising awareness about mental health issues.

"It makes you more knowledgable of what to look for in someone that might be developing a mental health issue, the signs, symptoms and behavior that you might see," Edgington said. "Along with that, we also teach an action plan of how to respond to somebody who may or may not be having an issue."

Some steps taught in the process are how to appropriately assess someone for risk of doing harm, how to give reassurance and encourage professional and self-help, Edgington said. Williams said there is an unfortunate reluctance of people with mental health issues to seek help.

"Mental illness always has some kind of physical symptom, too, such as anxiety and depression," Williamson said. "It can cause people real physical pain when they're very depressed. It's mental, but it also affects our whole body."

Edgington said educating more people about mental health issues and first aid can help clarify misconceptions they have regarding mental health.

"There's this idea that people with mental health issues are violent or that they're always in trouble with the law; that's not true," Edgington said. "In 90 percent of law enforcement interactions with people with a mental health issue, they're the victim. There's a negative stigma about mental health and a lot of that is addressed in the course."

The courses are from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.June 28 and 29 for youth first aid, and the same times for July 13 and 14 for adult. Each eight hour course is split over two days, and if people complete the course, they will receive a 3-year certification for mental health first aid. The cost is $50 for the public. Educators and first responders can attend for free. The courses will be held at the Kerrville Training Center, Two Schreiner Center, 955 Water St.

Williamson said people don't need to bring any supplies with them but should come ready to learn.

Each course can have 30 people and must have at least 10. To RSVP, contact Williamson at kwilliamson@hillcountry.org. Williamson said organizations who would like to host a training course at their location also can contact Williamson at 792-3300 ext 1832 or Edgington at ext. 1833.

"We're more than willing to travel," Edington said. "Along wit first aid, we teach several classes in trauma inform care, compassion resilience, etc."

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(c)2016 the Kerrville Daily Times (Kerrville, Texas)

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