Community Members Trained to Respond to Mental Health Crises

The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is pleased to announce that 1,234 Lake County community members have been trained in Mental Health First Aid, an 8-hour course that helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Both the Health Department and community partners contributed to accomplishing this milestone.

“Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and in Lake County—this issue touches us all,” said Sam Johnson-Maurello, the Health Department’s Director of Behavioral Health. “Through Mental Health First Aid, we can help end the stigma around mental health and equip members of our community with resources to help their neighbors, friends, and loved ones before it’s too late.”

Free Mental Health First Aid classes are being offered throughout Lake County in English and Spanish. To sign up for a training near you, visit the mentalhealth.today website. Organizations, companies and community groups wishing to train their employees or volunteers are encouraged to email info@mentalhealth.today to set up a special training session.

The Health Department is also accepting applications for those interested in becoming Mental Health First Aid instructors. The next 5-day instructor training is limited to 30 participants and will be held October 28-November 1, 2019, in Waukegan.

The instructor training normally costs $2,000 per person but is being offered for free to qualified applicants. In exchange, individuals who take the course agree to teach three Mental Health First Aid classes in the community in 2020. To apply, email info@mentalhealth.today or visit mentalhealth.today to download an application. Applications are due September 27, 2019.

In October 2018, the Health Department received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help expand and improve Lake County’s Mental Health First Aid training initiatives. Through the grant, the Health Department is training 30 individuals per year to become Adult Mental Health First Aid instructors. In turn, those individuals will train 2,250 community members over a three-year period.

About the Lake County Health Department: The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is a county health department, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and a direct provider of behavioral health services to residents of Lake County, Illinois. The Health Department’s mission is promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Lake County. To accomplish this mission, the Health Department works closely with community partners to address the social, economic, and environmental causes of health inequity. For more information, visit health.lakecountyil.gov.

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