The program is free to farmworkers and those working in the agricultural community.
The Mental Health First Aid training course equips you with the ability to recognize, understand and address mental health and substance use issues. (Illinois Extension)
URBANA, Illinois — One in five Americans suffers from a mental illness, with depression and anxiety on the rise following the pandemic. Still, many are hesitant to seek help due to stigma or don’t know where to seek care. Unlike physical symptoms, symptoms of mental illness and substance use problems can be hard to spot. Friends and family may struggle to know when and how to intervene. As a result, people who need mental health services, especially young people and those in rural areas, often don’t receive care until they’re in a crisis.
The Mental Health First Aid training course develops the ability to recognize, understand and respond to mental health and substance use issues. Similar to CPR for a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid equips nonclinical participants to support people in crisis with a five-step action plan. Delivered by the University of Illinois Extension’s Integrated Health Disparities Team, the course is available in English and Spanish and can be taken in both in-person and online hybrid formats.
“When mental health issues affect farmers, it affects all of us. This Farm and Ranch Stress Grant will provide the resources farmers, their families and community members need to maintain good mental and emotional health because they provide so much for so many people,” said Shelley Nichols Richardson, associate dean and director, Illinois Extension.
This program is designed for anyone who wants to become a youth mental health first aider. Open to extension staff and community members. Farmworkers and those working in farm communities can attend for free. All other community members can attend for a $60 participation fee, which includes training, course materials, and certification. Classes can be held as a one-day session or split into two half-day sessions.
“It has never been more important for our communities to have conversations about mental health and substance use,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council on Mental Health, which helped bring the program to the U.S. in 2008. “This program breaks down barriers and stigmas so we can learn how to better support each other. Without mental health, there is no health.”
For more information about receiving the training, please contact Mental Health Specialist Andrea Fanta at andreaf3@illinois.edu.
For more information about Mental Health First Aid, visit MHFA.org.
— Illinois State Extension
