In February, A Healthy Lynnfield is teaming up with Lynnfield Rotary to offer a very important certification program open to community members and District 7390 Rotarians. The program is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), which teaches how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. The program will be held across two sessions: Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 from 5 – 9 p.m. at the Lynnfield Meeting House. Light refreshments will be served. Register at www.aheathylynnfield.org by Jan. 15, 2024, to save your spot as space is limited.
According to the National Institute on Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 people in the U.S. live with a mental illness and nearly 130 people die every day from suicide. The program reviews:
- Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges.
- Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.
- How to interact with a person in crisis.
- How to connect a person with help.
- Expanded content on trauma, substance use and self-care.
In addition, participants will learn how to assess for risk of suicide or harm, listen nonjudgmentally, give reassurance and information, encourage appropriate professional help, and other support strategies.
“Partnering with Lynnfield Rotary for this effort is a natural collaboration,” Peg Sallade of A Healthy Lynnfield, also an active Lynnfield Rotarian, said.
Rotary International and, in turn, Rotary District 7930 have taken on addressing the mental health crisis.
“Mental health is an area that has been neglected by many people for too long because of the stigma associated with it,” Lynnfield Rotary President Christine Travers said. “The involvement of Rotary clubs across the nation joining together to address this theme will gradually reduce the stigma, and more and more people will begin to be comfortable around the issue.”
District 7930 Governor Lori Karas agrees.
“This year’s Rotary International theme on promoting mental wellness is all about creating hope in the world. The pandemic left us all feeling the heavy burden of loss and disconnection. We can all relate to this struggle. The good news is that even in times of crisis and adversity, there’s always hope,” Karas said.
A Mental Health First Aid program teaches skills to understand what others struggling with mental health challenges may be going through, and most importantly, how to respond with kindness and compassion.
This program offered in Lynnfield will be facilitated by A Healthy Lynnfield’s North Reading colleagues, Lora Mirana, LMHC, and Lt. Derek Howe of the North Reading Police Department. Both are trained to provide this national certification program. Attendance at both sessions is required to get your two-year MHFA certificate from the National Council on Mental Wellbeing.
