Hundreds of Lake Co. Residents Trained In Mental Health First Aid

LAKE COUNTY, IL —The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center have trained hundreds of community members in Mental Health First Aid. In total, 1,234 people have taken an eight-hour course, which is meant to help them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, according to a news release from the health department.

“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 MentalHealth 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 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 now accepting applications for those interested in becoming Mental HealthFirst Aid instructors. Training classes for instructors will be held from Oct. 28 through Nov. 1 in Waukegan, according to health officials.

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 received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices 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.