NORTH READING — In response to our nation’s mental health crisis, the Community Impact Team will bring Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to North Reading via an online course. This groundbreaking skills-based course is for adults who specifically work with youth or have youth in their lives. It teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health or substance use challenges.
Similar to physical First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a crisis until professional assistance is obtained or the crisis is resolved. One in five Americans has experienced mental illness, and the pandemic has dramatically increased depression and anxiety, but many are reluctant to seek help or don’t know where to turn for care.
According to the 2024 North Reading Core Measurement Survey, 51% of high schoolers said they experience anxiety, depression or trouble with sleeping. A total of 60% of high school students in North Reading said they have felt stress or anxiety about their social lives and 79% said they felt stress or anxiety about their academics or grades.
Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges can be difficult to see. Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.
Mental Health First Aiders learn a five-step Action Plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support. The online course session will be instructed by certified trainer Jen Ford Ford. “The feedback from participants tells us that this course can prevent a crisis,” Ford said, adding, “If the crisis isn’t prevented, participants said they feel better prepared to address it.”
“It’s never been more important for our communities to talk about mental health and substance use,” according to Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which helped bring Mental Health First Aid to the U.S. in 2008. “Mental Health First Aid is breaking down barriers and stigma so that together we can learn how to better support one another. Without mental health, there is no health.”
The two-night online course will be held on Tuesday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 8 from 5-9 p.m. Participants must attend both nights to gain certification. The free course is open to any adult who works with or cares for a young person. A separate adult version will be offered in November.
To register, visit www.northreadingma.gov/CIT and click “events” or contact the North Reading Coalition at coalition@northreadingma.gov.
