Programs presented by the Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) and the FAERF Institute are dedicated to bringing compassion consciousness to work. In 2021, the Foundation began offering classes in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), and today we have certified over 100 Mental Health First Aiders and conducted a total of 14 classes.
The month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States since 1949. It was founded by the Mental Health America organization (then known as the National Association for Mental Health) in order to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illness, including conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Mental Health Month aims to raise awareness regarding the trauma and societal impact that mental illness can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities as a whole. (1)
As our way of honoring the importance of Mental Health First Aid and May as Mental Health Month, the FAERF Institute conducted two classes—a face-to-face training in Miami, FL and a virtual class where sixteen human resource professionals for a major cruise line were certified.
Mental Health First Aid and Traditional First Aid Provide Temporary Relief—that leads to long-term benefits
Although it’s relatively new, in principle, MHFA takes the same approach as traditional first aid: offer short-term comfort to someone until professional assistance or support from a family member or peer arrives. Just as many employees of our corporate members are accomplished in the practice of CPR, many are adding certification in Mental Health First Aid, recognizing the importance of emotional support, once physical survival is assured.
Mental Health First Aid is evidence-based
Peer-reviewed studies from Australia and across the globe show that the program saves lives, improves the mental health of the individual administering care and the one receiving it, expands knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, increases the services provided, and reduces overall social distance toward individuals with mental illnesses by improving mental health literacy. Research reveals that those who are trained in MHFA have greater confidence in providing help to others, a greater likelihood of advising people to seek professional help, greater agreement with health professionals about treatments, and decreased negative attitudes.
Through Mental Health First Aid, more than 3 million people are trained to help their peers, neighbors, colleagues and friends. Join this community and #BeTheDifference today. Contact us at the FAERF Institute and sign up for one of our training classes.
(1) The Inspiring History of Mental Health Awareness Month
