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What is the mental health first aid program?

Posted at 1:50 PM, May 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-09 15:50:56-04

Alfonso Chacon, Staff & Community Relations Director at Valley Behavioral Health, talked about the Mental Health First Aid Program.
Mental health is your overall ability to control your emotions and your moods in any set of circumstances. Mental health is a common denominator that is affected in just about any situation. Even in this day and age, there is a stigma associated whenever anyone has a problem, which creates barriers to access treatment. When it comes to illnesses like depression or anxiety, people don`t feel as supported. A lot of people do not recognize the signs or symptoms in themselves or loved ones that there is a need to seek some sort of professional help. It may be harder to diagnose mental illness, in comparison to a physical illness, like a broken bone. Mental illnesses are about 1 in every 5 adults or about 20% of the adult population in Utah. The most commonly diagnosed mental illness is an anxiety disorder. Some people definitely have a genetic predisposition to mental health issues. However, it can certainly be associated with abuse, trauma, or other types of critical moments in their life.
Valley Behavioral Health offers a wide variety of services for just about every population from toddlers all the way to the elderly. This includes getting started with a therapist, or if need be, with a prescriber. We have residential programs, outpatient clinics, programs that offer help to our homeless individuals, as well as individuals with substance abuse disorders.The Mental Health First Aid Program. What is it? How is it benefiting Utahns? Where can people learn more?

The Mental Health First Aid Program is a program that helps to educate the community on how to respond to anyone going through a mental health crisis or developing a mental illness. It helps to identify risk factors, signs and symptoms, as well as a very straightforward action plan to approach the person and get them pointed in the right direction. The program costs $35 per person, which covers materials and instruction. However, they do offer some group discount rates depending on the situation. Contact the experts through valleycares.com or call us at 888-949-4864.