In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Greater Iowa City, Inc. is inviting local employers to participate in a two-day Mental Health First Aid training by Megan Hammes of Hammes Homestead and Consulting. The course is designed to equip staff with the tools to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges in the workplace.
The training — developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing — will be held Tuesday, May 6 from 11:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 7 from 8:15 to 11:45 a.m. at MERGE in downtown Iowa City, 136 S. Dubuque St. The $375 registration fee includes course materials, lunch on the first day, and a three-year certification.
According to a release, MHFA training provides practical strategies for identifying signs of mental health and substance use struggles, approaching someone in crisis, and connecting them to appropriate support. Participants will also build skills in reducing stigma, understanding trauma, and holding supportive conversations.
The training is particularly encouraged for employers across all sectors, including health care, construction, manufacturing and high-contact service industries, as well as for supervisors, HR professionals and leadership teams.
Using the MHFA action plan — known by the acronym ALGEE — trainees will learn how to:
- Assess for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmentally
- Give reassurance and information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies
The need for mental health preparedness in the workplace is underscored by sobering national statistics: nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, and more than one million people have died from drug overdoses since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide claims an average of 130 lives every day in the U.S., per the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
A second training course will be offered at TrueNorth Companies in Cedar Rapids, 500 First St. SE, May 8 from 11:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and May 9 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Visit here for more information or to register, or contact [email protected].
