Compeer, a non-clinical social service agency that promotes mental wellness through the healing power of friendship, facilitated a Mental Health First Aid training course for student-facing faculty at Daemen University.
During the course, participants learned a five-step action plan to help others cope with mental health or substance use problems and how to connect them to the proper care. They received a three-year certification at the end of the training.
More than 20 staff members from Residence Life, Campus Safety, and the CHIP Center took part in the course.
“Mental health training is important at college campuses because with a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, especially post-pandemic, the college environment is seeing an increase in mental health concerns,” said Miguel Rodriguez, the director of community standards and student advocacy. “Thus, one of the ways to mitigate this change is to enlighten our community about what to do, how to help, and how to advocate.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness and 51% of youth between the ages of 6-17 live with a mental health condition.
“I am happy that we were able to provide our students and staff with knowledge and a certification that can be extremely useful in a topic that is affecting college campuses everywhere,” Rodriquez said. “I am also proud of the students and my fellow staff for continuing to go above and beyond for our community.”
Compeer can provide the training sessions at no cost through 2026 due to funding received from the SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant.