SWWC introduces Youth Mental Health First Aid to Windom

Nov. 22--WINDOM -- Southwest West Central Service Cooperative is initiating the Youth Mental Health First Aid program in Windom. SWWC will train local members of the public to improve mental health literacy -- helping them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness -- on Dec. 13 at the Windom Law Enforcement Center.

"We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community," SWWC Mental Health Consultant Paige Thompson said. "This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. It will help rid communities of the associated stigma and move more and more people toward recovery."

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training certification course that teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual.

"We welcome SWWC's involvement and enthusiasm in the Mental Health First Aid community," said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, the organization that brought Mental Health First Aid to the United States in 2008. "We know they will have a great impact on the mental health communities throughout Minnesota, and will be key players in improving mental health literacy nationwide."

In its pilot year, the program was introduced in nearly 20 states and more than 40 communities nationwide. The National Council certified Thompson to provide the Youth Mental Health First Aid class in October 2014 through an instructor certification course in Minneapolis. SWWC and all the sites across the nation that replicate this program maintain strict fidelity to the original, proven program.

For more information or to participate in a Mental Health First Aid training in Windom, visit www.swsc.org/workshops or call Thompson at (507) 476-5766.

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