‘Mental Health First Aid’ Certification Course Offered in Yorktown

A free training class is being offered to help take the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance abuse problems by teaching people how to identify, understand and respond to a variety of mental health situations.

The Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK), announced the availability of this free, two-day certification training in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) on Thursday, April 27th (5-8pm) and April 29th (9am–2pm) in Yorktown Heights.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training course that gives participants the skills needed to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who has a mental health or substance use problem or is experiencing a crisis.

"All I can say after completing the course is – WOW! Not only did the course give me pointers, it exceeded all of my expectations,” said Ed Lachterman, Yorktown Town Councilman. “The training opened my eyes and taught me to identify many of the problems facing our youth today through behavioral patterns and sensory manifestations."

"Mental health is a national crisis," added Erica Stanzione, Director of Communications and Partnerships at ASK. "This is a tool that's great for any community member who might encounter someone, whether it be their child, neighbor or family friend, who is having a mental health issue. We also encourage high school seniors and college students to attend and be learn how to be a first line of defense for their peers.”

Learn more and sign up at www.allianceforsafekids.org/youthmentalhealth.

ABOUT the Alliance for Safe Kids, Inc.

The Alliance for Safe Kids, Inc. (ASK) is a Yorktown non-profit organization founded in 2002 and incorporated in 2006 as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. ASK is a coalition representing all sectors of our community working together to provide a safety net for the youth and families in our community. Our mission is to promote awareness and prevention of substance use/abuse and other destructive behaviors damaging to our youth. ASK is a collaboration within the community – parents, teens, educators, law enforcement, government, medical professionals, businesses, faith leaders, civic groups – aimed at providing youth with the information and skills needed to make healthy decisions while emphasizing the need for families to protect and nurture their children by getting informed and staying involved. For more information, visit www.allianceforsafekids.org.