By: Melissa Wickwire, Executive Administrative Assistant, PHHS

What if Mental Health First Aid was as well-known as traditional First Aid? Many lives have been saved by the widespread knowledge of basic first aid, such as call 911, apply pressure to a bleeding wound, and check the airway. Many of us are trained in crisis response for a physical injury but what if it was just as common to have the skills to support a person experiencing a mental health crisis?

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a Mental Health First Aid for Adults training at Cook County Higher Education presented by regional instructors. This opportunity was available for free, thanks to community partnerships including Cook County Public Health and Human Services and a grant from the North Shore Health Care Foundation. Around fifteen people attended, most of us living in Cook County. While I’m glad to take this opportunity to share some of that knowledge, I feel that it’s important to warn readers that this article includes suicide and self-harm topics.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing helped bring Mental Health First Aid training to the U.S. in 2008. While data from 2018 shows that one in five Americans is experiencing a mental illness, emerging data shows that number is likely closer to one in three. The pandemic dramatically increased the need for support during a time when health care was and continues to be stretched thin. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health and wellbeing can be understood to be on a spectrum, and our mental health is not a permanent state of being. As with physical health, our status at any given moment is a snapshot of many complex factors. Cultural considerations are also important. Cultural beliefs influence our health decisions and different cultural norms impact what people think about mental health and treatment.

The class included information about what barriers and stigma exist that prevent people from receiving help. We were educated on the role of the Mental Health First Aider and an action plan to guide us through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support. There was also an overview of the characteristics of common mental disorders. Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention tool best used by people who are familiar enough with each other to observe changes in behaviors, but it can also be used with a stranger. It is important to understand the scope. Mental Health First Aiders do not diagnose or treat themselves or others; we are the link between the person experiencing the challenge and professional support. One way to think of this is to use the example of widespread CPR training; learning CPR doesn’t mean you are expected to perform heart surgery.

The Mental Health Action Plan can be used in any order. Assessing the situation is important throughout the process and safety is a priority. The plan illustrates how to approach the individual to gather information about the risk of suicide or harm, listening nonjudgmentally, giving reassurance and information, encouraging appropriate professional help, and encouraging self-help. One thing that stands out to me is the importance of asking direct questions about self-harm. We learned that it is important to ask the person using very clear language if they are thinking of killing themselves. Linking someone to professional support will look different for each situation. It may be as simple as letting someone know that you are concerned about them and suggesting making a call together, or as difficult as making a 911 call for immediate help in an emergency.

The new 988 nationwide suicide prevention and crisis lifeline may be helpful depending on the situation. It is noteworthy that the 988 number uses the area code of the caller’s phone number to link to regional resources. Anyone at any time can call or text this number to get support, but if you have an area code that doesn’t match the region you are calling from, it may be less direct. Another number that we can use is 844-772-4724. This number connects directly to the regional response for Cook County and Grand Portage. These resources are available to support the person with mental health needs as well as anyone that may have questions about how to support someone else. In an emergency, calling 911 is advised. If you are unsure if the situation is an emergency, either number can help determine. When calling 911, sharing that this is a mental health related emergency could be helpful for the dispatch.

Handling situations that require Mental Health First Aid can be taxing; we learned that the self-care of the Mental Health First Aider is especially important. A person experiencing a crisis needs support and so do the helpers. Calling or texting 988 or calling 844-772-4742 to talk to a trained professional may also be helpful for anyone in a supporting role. It didn’t surprise me that discussing and learning led to sharing personal stories among some of us in attendance. I think that it is important to note that many, if not all of us, have personal experiences with mental first-aid crises, either for ourselves or with someone we care about. Sometimes these experiences are traumatic and sometimes people are not able to get what they need before it’s too late. Some people may be wrestling with guilt around these circumstances and may need professional support to process this.

One of the things that can be done to increase the number of people that connect to the help they need is to reduce the stigma around mental illness and persons experiencing mental health issues. Talking and learning about it helps reduce this stigma. Many people experiencing common mental disorders do not seek professional help. We can all work to remove barriers to care, such as cost, stigma, logistics, and lack of awareness. We are all capable of working together to remove the barriers to ensuring mental health support is accessible. 

So much about being human relies on mutual care and support among family, friends, and strangers. Having the opportunity to learn more about Mental Health First Aid helps me feel more prepared to help someone. The more awareness and training that occurs in our communities and society, the better prepared we will be to help each other in our time of need. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Mental Health First Aid and am especially grateful to the professionals in our community that continue to provide the education and support we need.

More information can be found about Mental Health First Aid at MHFA.org.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.