Mental Health First Aid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Marti Vogt  404-431-2676
 Mental Health First Aid to Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Johns Creek  Joining a National Initiative to Increase Mental Health Literacy
Perimeter Church is initiating the Mental Health First Aid program in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton. Perimeter Church will train hundreds of professionals and gatekeepers working in foster care, adoption, social service, law enforcement, veterans organizations, and other members of the public to improve mental health literacy – helping them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.  
“We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Marti Vogt  “This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction.  It will help rid this community of the associated stigma and move more and more people toward recovery.”
Mental Health First Aid is a 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual, the certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments.  Thorough evaluations in randomized controlled trials and a quantitative study have proved the CPR-like program effective in improving trainees’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma and increasing the amount of help provided to others.  
“We welcome [Agency]’s involvement and enthusiasm in the Mental Health First Aid community,”  says Linda Rosenberg, MSW, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, the organization who brought Mental Health First Aid to the United States in 2008.  “We know they will have a great impact on the mental health communities throughout [area], and will be key players in improving mental health literacy nationwide.”
In its pilot year, the program was introduced in nearly twenty states and more than 40 communities nationwide.  The National Council certified Ms. Vogt to provide the Mental Health First Aid program in October, 2010 through an instructor certification course in  Atlanta and all the sites across the nation that replicate this program maintain strict fidelity to the original, proven program.  
Mental Health First Aid originated in 2001 in Australia under the direction of founders Betty Kitchener and Tony Jorm. To date, it has been replicated in twenty other countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, Scotland, England, Canada, Finland, and Singapore. 
For more information or to participate in a Mental Health First Aid training in Johns Creek on June 21st at Perimeter Church.
This 8 hour course will provide tools needed to identify a mental health crisis until professional help is available.
The National Council for Behavioral Health is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 2,000+ behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders to nearly seven million adults, children and families in communities across the country. The National Council and its members bear testimony to the fact that medical, social, psychological and rehabilitation services offered in community settings help people with mental illnesses and addiction disorders recover and lead productive lives.  
###