Written by: Rebecca Straits (rjs006@marietta.edu)
Mental health and substance abuse are heavy topics that affect many communities all around the world, and that includes here in Marietta. At Marietta College, we are fighting mental health and substance abuse stigma one workshop at a time.
On March 20th, Marietta College conducted a one-day Mental Health First Aid Certification Workshop for Higher Education. The workshop lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and was held on the second floor of Erwin Hall.
The workshop was facilitated by education Professors Dr. Brian Rider and Dr. Amanda Rider, and the training was segmented into ten units with a short certification test at the end of the workshop.
The purpose of the Mental Health First Aid Certification Workshop was to teach attendees how to spot, assess, and respond to warning signs of a mental health crisis and substance use disorders in higher education.
One of the main points to the course was to teach those in attendance how to apply the ALGEE (assess, listen, give, encourage, and encourage) action plan:
- Assess risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmentally
- Give reassurance
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help / other support strategies
Along with teaching attendees about the importance of supporting peers struggling with mental health and substance abuse, the workshop also expressed the importance of self-care. As even though you are told to put your air mask on first during a crisis event on an airplane, you can’t help
others without helping yourself first.
Mental Health certification through the workshop is valid for a three-year period, and those who attended received a Participant Processing Guide and Adult Manual that they can use for future refacing.
If you are a student at Marietta College and you want to make a positive impact in your community, there will be another workshop on Friday April 10th. The event will be in Erwin Hall Room 202 and allows students to register for slots between the times of 8:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Students can sign up using the link below or by reaching out to Dr. Brian Rider: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49A4AD22A1FC1-63064220-mental#/
If you are a community member who wishes to make a positive impact on their community, you
can find out more by visiting MentalHealthFirstAid.org
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or substance abuse and are thinking about suicide, please know that you are not alone and that there are people out there who want to help.
Call or text 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline, or reach out to someone you trust, and remember that you are not alone and that there are people out there that care about you.
Edited by: Zachary Worstell (zdw001@marietta.edu)
