RIVER FALLS, Wis. 10/30/2018 — River Falls Area Hospital, together with United Way St. Croix Valley, is offering a Mental Health First Aid class designed to help students identify, understand, and respond to signs of addiction and mental illnesses. The day-long class will be held Nov. 13, 2018 on the River Falls Area Hospital campus.
"Mental Health First Aid is an internationally recognized evidence-based program that was created and is managed by the National Council for Behavioral Health," said Kathy Hogberg, River Falls Area Hospital social work and co-instructor of the class. "You learn by engaging in the materials and relating what you learn to real-life situations. Role-playing, group discussions, and exercises keep you engaged and allow you to practice helping skills."
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to provide initial help to someone who may be experiencing symptoms of mental illness or in crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid training, you will learn:
• Risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns
• Strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations
• Where to turn for help
• Non-judgmental communication and listening skills
• A 5-step action plan to help someone developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis
The course will be taught by certified instructors, Kathy Hogberg and Lori Zierl.
• Tuesday, November 13, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• River Falls Area Classrooms B & C
• $10 registration fee. (The course has a value of $170 per participant. Thanks to the generous donors of the United Way St. Croix Valley participants may attend at this reduced rate.)
To register to become trained in Mental Health First Aid visit: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=aczalicab&oeidk=a07efo9le0k91cd40a6
River Falls Area Hospital, part of Allina Health, is a not-for-profit regional medical center committed to providing quality, comprehensive care to patients in western Wisconsin - from disease prevention to innovative diagnostic and treatment services for simple to complex medical conditions. The hospital provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient, cancer care and emergency care services.
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 10 hospitals / 13 campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services.