The Forest Park Library and Forest Park School District 91 are teaming up for another Parent University to tackle mental health first aid training this August.
“Mental Health First Aid Training: Be There for Those Who Need You” will be held Saturday, Aug. 3 as well as Saturday, Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Forest Park Library on Jackson Boulevard.
The program is being provided by NAMI Metro Suburban, a branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to help equip people with skills to recognize the signs of mental health challenges to offer initial support.
On Aug. 3, the session will focus on adult issues while Aug. 10 will focus on youth and teens.
According to NAMI Metro Suburban’s website, the Mental Health First Aid program was developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and has been taught across 25 countries for more than 15 years.
Representatives from NAMI could not be reached for comment.
The courses are intended help participants “identify symptoms of mental health challenges, understand common mental illnesses within the United States, and use the ALGEE action plan to navigate conversations,” according to its website.
According to Mental Health First Aid from National Council for Mental Wellbeing, ALGEE stands for:
A- approach, assess for risk of suicide or harm
L- Listen non-judgmentally
G- Give reassurance and information
E- Encourage appropriate professional help
E- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
The sessions will cover anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, as well as depressive disorders and eating disorders among others.
The course will be taught by a certified instructor and upon completion, participants will receive a certificate. The course can also count toward credits for professional development hours, either continuing education units or continuing professional development units.
The sessions come at a time when mental health continues to be a growing concern.
KFF, an independent source for health policy research, polling and news, reported that the percentage of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and or depression disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased by 3.6% from April 2020 to March 2023 from 35.9%, to 32.3%, 90% of U.S. adults believe the country is facing a mental health crisis.
According to NAMI, 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year, with 50% of all lifetime mental illness beginning by age 14 and 75% of all lifetime mental illness beginning by age 24.
NAMI also reported that 22.8% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2021, which represents 1 in every 5 adults, with 5.5% of adults experiencing a serious mental illness in 2021.
Representatives from D91 could not be reached for comment.
The course is free but registration is required and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration can be found on the libraries website.
Correction, July 10, 2024: A previous version misidentified NAMI Metro Suburban as NAMI, a separate organization.