(CHCC) — As part of regional behavioral health workforce development, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. hosted a six-hour virtual Mental Health First Aid certification training on April 8, 2021, for 11 members of the Palau Behavioral Health Advisory Council.
The council oversees planning and implementation of mental health and substance abuse block grants in the Republic of Palau.
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based public education program that removes the unease and apprehension out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use challenges by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches individuals to safely and responsibly identify and address warning signs and symptoms of a potential mental health or substance use disorder.
CHCC-Community Guidance Center’s Kimberly Mendiola and Kimberly Seman Tudela led the training with the technical assistance of Lupe Camacho and Becky Mettao.
The CHCC training was funded through support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Healthy Transitions grant and the System of Care grants.
The training covered early signs and symptoms, worsening signs and symptoms, crisis signs and symptoms, the mental health first aid action plan, and self-care for the mental health first aider.
Part of the training included topics on suicide, non-suicidal self-injury, and psychosis. The participants worked on identifying signs and symptoms of appropriate mental health care and applying the action plan during non-crisis and crisis situations.
To date, CHCC-Community Guidance Center has certified 1,069 individuals in the CNMI, now including regional partners from Palau, in either the Mental Health First Aid youth curriculum, adult curriculum, or both.
For more information, visit https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
For contact information and to request for Mental Health First Aid training, visit https://chcc.gov.mp/communitysupporttraining.php
The participants of the virtual Mental Health First Aid training conducted by CHCC for the Palau Behavioral Health Council.
CHCC photo
Mental Health First Aid training leaders Kimberly S. Tudela and Kimberly Mendiola.
CHCC photo
