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Mental Health First Aid

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Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack — even if you have no clinical training — Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps you identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

 

ADULT MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

The Adult Mental Health First Aid course is appropriate for anyone 18 years and older who wants to learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis or problem. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions.

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

For a number of reasons, individuals experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders often have more contact with the criminal justice system than the general population does. Thus, the better prepared officers and staff are to respond effectively and appropriately, the more likely the interaction will be a positive one. Mental Health First Aid Public Safety focuses on the unique experiences and needs of law enforcement, corrections, and public safety audiences. 


Click here for more information on MHFA USA.


JOY AULL

Joy Aull
Program Coordinator

Joy Aull has 25 years of experience in collaborating with federal, state and local agencies in addition to university/college officials to implement strong preemptive community education and professional development programs. Joy first began working with adolescents and transition-aged youth in college as a volunteer at a Boys Ranch for delinquent juveniles and later as an intern at a tri-county Restitution Center in the state of Texas. Upon graduating with her Bachelors in Behavioral Science, Joy worked as a mentor in an alternative high school and as a state parole officer at a male prison and halfway house. After relocating to Louisiana, Joy graduated from the regional police academy with the highest scholastic honor and began working as a state commissioned officer at Louisiana State University, and later at Centenary College. Joy worked as a patrol officer and supervisor rising to the rank of Police Captain over the Special Services Division which included grant acquisition, community education programs, technology and disaster response. Living in Louisiana she had extensive hands on disaster response experience working with diverse populations pre and post Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita. Joy is an instructor in Community Emergency Response and Critical Incident Management. After moving to Alabama with her spouse, Joy went to work for as the Training Specialist for the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project where she focused on enhancing our communities’ trauma and disaster resilience through the development of the mental and behavioral health capacity of first responders, educators and community service providers. Joy has continued her professional development through Certification as an Adult, Youth and Public Safety Mental Health First Aid Instructor under the auspices of the National Council for Behavioral Health and training in Crisis Intervention Teams from CIT International. Currently, she is a program director at the University of South Alabama Center for Continuing Education and Conference Services.


Chiefe Zeke Aull

Chief Zeke Aull
USA PD

Chief Zeke Aull is an innovative police chief with over 27 years of experience in both college and university law enforcement at four unique institutions in the States of Louisiana and Alabama. He is dedicated to implementing strong crime prevention/education programs in addition to crisis response initiatives and training to prepare the campus community for emergency situations. Chief Aull has extensive experience in narcotics, patrol, criminal investigations, and VIP protection. He also has firsthand experience in crisis management with Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita. Chief Aull is a Post Certified F.B.I. Instructor and has numerous certifications including being an Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Instructor and Hostage Negotiator. He also is an executive member of the regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee. As part of his commitment to community policing, Chief Aull has been very active in the development of Mental Health First Aid Training and Crisis Intervention team training for law enforcement.


JOY AULL

Chuck Sutherlin
Sergeant, Foley Police Department

Chuck Sutherlin currently serves as a Sergeant with the Foley Police Department in Baldwin County, Alabama. He is a 14 year veteran law enforcement officer and previously served in the US Army as a Military Police Officer. Chuck's interest in Mental Health evolved through his long term commitment to special needs citizens through the Special Olympics. In 2014, he was selected to represent his department in a regional Mental Health project that incorporates Crisis Intervention training and Mental Health First Aid® training for public safety employees in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Chuck was instrumental in creating a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program at the Foley Police Department, the first in Baldwin County. He currently serves on the Mobile-Baldwin CIT Steering Committee and is the CIT Coordinator for the Foley Police Department.