Old adages and sayings are still used today because they have value and meaning. One that we have all heard is “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The idea is that an investment today will have even more benefit in the future. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an example of this principle in action. There are two – eight hour courses under the MHFA umbrella Youth MHFA (adults that work primarily with youth) and MHFA (adults that work primarily with other adults). During each course participants learn to identify signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use issues and connect individuals to the appropriate resource(s). This is important because 1-5 adults in the US (43. 8 million) experience mental illness in a given year. Each person reached is potential dollars saved and lives changed.
The lessons learned during the course can be applied across settings such as the workplace, at school or even at home. If you are interested in finding out more please visit, www.mhfaco.org, there you can find a class or join the movement.