Washington County residents will soon have the opportunity to be trained in mental health first aid, a 21st century worldwide concept that reached the U.S. in the midst of a … Read more
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Howard County officials are looking to a new task force to improve mental health services and address gaps in the system. Read more
Have you ever wondered what to do when someone you know is having an emotional crisis? One out of four people you meet has struggled with a mental health problem … Read more
The fine OpEd about college campus violence by professors Deborah Rogers and Howard Segal that appeared recently in the BDN got me thinking about how easy it is to miss … Read more
Governor Sam Brownback, flanked by cabinet secretaries and advocates from across the state, today announced his administration’s plans to continue strengthening the delivery of mental health services in the State of Kansas. … Read more
Several members of Congress have added themselves as cosponsors to the Mental Health First Aid Act and Behavioral Health IT Act in the wake of the National Council’s 10th annual … Read more
Earlier this week, members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce – which oversees many policies related to mental health and substance use – introduced legislation to improve the … Read more
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released its Request for Applications (RFA) related to $15 million in new funding for communities to offer Mental Health First … Read more
The National Council, along with leaders from veterans service organizations and fellow mental health advocates, today launched a new training program – Mental Health First Aid for Veterans – that offers participants a simple, proven combination of information and techniques to recognize and respond to the warning signs of mental illness and addiction.
Innovative Program Offers Proven Techniques to Recognize and Respond to Mental Illness and Addiction Contact: Heather Cobb at 202-684-7457 x277 heatherc@thenationalcouncil.org WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council for Mental Wellbeing … Read more
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration has published two new funding opportunity announcements related to the Project AWARE and Mental Health First Aid initiative enacted by Congress in the … Read more
Today, I am also alarmed by the lack of focus on the recent tragedies at Fort Hood and centers of Jewish life in Kansas City. I cannot help but wonder: Were there too few victims for this to capture our attention?
Take the Fort Hood shooting: Instead of a serious discussion on the connections between mental health and gun violence, most of what I heard were some members of Congress on TV arguing for allowing guns on bases, even though our military leaders say this would make service members less safe.
Health experts with Optum Idaho are traveling the state helping people from many different backgrounds learn more about mental illness. Instructors are using the latest shooting at Fort Hood as … Read more
Mary Jo Andrews, Carol Poehnert and several other West Hartford mothers of children with mental-health problems had quietly met for eight years, usually over dinner, to share their experiences and frustrations, and … Read more
I recently got a call from George Delgrosso, Executive Director of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, excited to share the news that the Colorado legislature approved $750,000 to expand Mental … Read more
“So, are you thinking of killing yourself?” Uttering the words is painfully emotional, even within the safe confines of practicing them in a class like Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network’s Mental … Read more
Michigan is facing a serious shortage in the availability and accessibility of mental health services. Among those placed most at risk by this shortage are Michigan children, particularly children living … Read more
As many as 200 Jefferson County employees will receive the eight-hour training to learn about mental health first aid “kits,” or action plans. They include step-by-step guidance on how to … Read more
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., received the 2014 Allies in Action Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention last week. The honor was for introducing the Mental Health First … Read more
Twenty one percent of adult Oklahomans — 700,000-950,000 individuals — reported having a mental health issue during the past year, according to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Mental illnesses includes major depression, major anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia.
People from service organizations, churches and others just wanting to learn more got a lesson in mental health CPR.
The program developed in Australia in 2001 helps people understand what mental health illness is and how to recognize the warning signs of mental illness, so they can get help before there’s a crisis.
Mental illness affects each individual differently. Some self-mutilate. Some abuse drugs. Some consider suicide. Some die from their illness to escape the pain.
Sharon C. Engdahl has met with them all. And she believes that just as administering CPR at the onset of symptoms can prevent death, seeking early intervention can save the life of someone suffering from mental illness.
From Columbine to Sandy Hook Elementary School, the gunmen behind America’s worst school shootings have all had serious mental health issues. Thus, some Texas school districts have decided to take … Read more
Gun violence is clearly a national crisis. Horrific instances of mass violence get the most attention, but instances of single-shootings gun violence are much more common and just as deadly. … Read more
In March, campus security will be the first district staff members to undergo training in “Mental Health First Aid,” a program offered through the Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network that shows … Read more
Mental health again was a hot topic in this year’s General Assembly session following an incident involving a state senator’s son. Last year, Gus Deeds, the son of Bath County … Read more
Lawmakers are once again trying to establish a training program that would help teachers identify the signs of mental illness. The bill died last year but the bill’s sponsor likes … Read more
Access Press recently reviewed last year’s headlines for the disability community. There were also some very important changes to the mental health system that should be noted. Link to Source
The map outlines the total number of people trained in Mental Health First Aid, by state, through December 2013. Figures in parentheses represent the number of instructors. States are color … Read more
Life as a teen can be hard. It’s even harder when dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction or mental health issues. To help young friends, neighbors and family members who are … Read more
A plan to direct the Department of Children and Families to establish a mental health first aid training program unanimously passed its first Senate committee Tuesday. SB 574 would increase … Read more
Working closely with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma School Security Institute has selected an 8-hour training course called “Mental Health First Aid for … Read more
When someone is having a heart attack or choking, most people know what to do. When someone is having a mental-health crisis, there are few symptoms and even less knowledge … Read more
I’ve taken regular first aid, and I’ve used both, but certainly the opportunities to use Mental Health First Aid are much more abundant.
The House yesterday easily approved a $1 trillion omnibus budget bill, the result of intensive negotiations over the last month to fund government operations for the remainder of 2014 and … Read more
An idea championed by Lawrence’s Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center soon may be going nationwide. The $1.1 trillion budget bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives today includes $15 million in funding to nationally launch a mental health first aid program that was tested in Lawrence.
Once a month, a group of individuals from local organizations, schools and others in the community come together to discuss the mental wellness of Marion County. Link to Source
Pima Community College and the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona will offer free training in how to help someone with a mental health problem later this month. Link to Source
The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection on our achievements over the last twelve months and setting goals for what we hope to accomplish in … Read more
Wednesday Barber joined the Arizona delegation and other friends and colleagues of Giffords to honor those who were injured and killed.
Barber also introduced the bipartisan Mental Health First Aid Act, which will proved education to increase public awareness of mental illness symptoms and the services available to those in need.
“We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into … Read more
This program is a top-notch service to communities like ours; we are so grateful for the opportunity to have this program in our area.
Chamisal resident Juliana Anastasoff has been named the Con Alma Foundation’s 2013 Hero of Health. Anastasoff was key, for example, in bringing Mental Health First Aid to local residents. The program … Read more
A year has come and gone. And during this holiday season, it’s hard to think of those 20 innocent children and six brave adults in Newtown, Connecticut who will never … Read more
Mental Health First Aid skills can be applied anytime, anywhere, and to anyone in distress, be it a brother officer exhibiting symptoms of PTSD, an unemployed friend displaying signs of severe depression, or a teenage family member presenting evidence of self-injury.
He was astonished how well the ALGEE Action Plan worked. He went through each letter and explained how he used it to help his daughter through a difficult time.
We hear and see time and again stories of individuals living with schizophrenia involving struggles with keeping consistent employment, housing, or care. We read the studies that find that people … Read more
Jeannie Campbell, Master Chief Petty Officer, ret. serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ms. Campbell leads national … Read more
When a loved one has cancer, families rally around — they cook, clean, drive their loved ones to doctor’s appointments, and much more. But when someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental conditions, family members are not sure what to do.
Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and the National Council share a similar goal: improve the emotional health of youth. When mental health and celebrities are talked about together, more … Read more
