East End Police To Receive Mental Health First Aid Training

RIVERHEAD, NY — Riverhead Police and code enforcement officers will soon receive in-person mental health first aid training — and other East End towns will also travel to Riverhead for the sessions.

According to Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, the training takes place in partnership with the Association for Mental Health and Wellness.

The training comes at no cost to the town and teaches participants how to assist someone who is experiencing mental health distress, or developing a substance use problem, a release said.

In addition, the course explains how to recognize risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, as well as strategies for how to assist someone both in crisis and non-crisis situations, and when it would be best to turn to others for help.

The course, Jens-Smith said, will give officers "mental health literacy" so that they know the basics of different mental illnesses and addiction and their effects on a person’s daily life. Specifically, those taking the course will learn about depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.

Mental Health First Aid teaches that, through recovery and resiliency, the individuals experiencing these challenges "can and do get better," she said.

By learning the skills offered, "officers will be able to better serve our community, particularly our veterans and youth who are more vulnerable to mental health concerns, and substance use disorders," the supervisor said.

With 18.5 percent of service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan having post-traumatic stress disorder or depression and 1 in 5 teens and young adults living with a mental health condition, the training will help officers be able to meet the particular needs of these populations, the release said..

The training will last 8 hours, and take place on two separate occasions. Representatives from the towns of East Hampton, and Southampton, as well as the Village of Quogue, will also be traveling to Riverhead to take part in the training, which is offered to educators, those serving veterans, and those serving youth at-risk in underserved communities, as well as police, probation, corrections and parole departments.