Daemen hosted a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certificate course, facilitated by Horizon Health, as part of its ongoing commitment to wellness.
The two-day course, which took place on March 25 and 26 in the YSC Alumni Lounge, included two four-hour sessions that taught 25 participants how to identify and respond to a variety of mental health challenges among adults through the MHFA action plan, ALGEE, which includes:
- Assessing the risk of suicide or harm
- Listening non-judgmentally
- Giving reassurance and information
- Encouraging appropriate professional help
- Encouraging self-help and other support strategies
“Courses like the Mental Health First Aid Certificate course are so important to our community,” said Patty Puglia, Associate Vice President for Employee Engagement. “Given the rise in mental health challenges, we want to equip our faculty and staff with important skills to recognize and assist those who may be experiencing a crisis in their lives.”
Attendees learned how to identify signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in adults, provide initial support to someone in crisis, connect people to care, develop self-care and coping strategies, and reduce suicide risk.