WASHINGTON, D.C. – After helping to include a $15 million appropriation for mental health first aid in the fiscal 2016 omnibus spending bill, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is encouraging more Rhode Islanders to take part in this public education and awareness program.
The National Council for Behavioral Health, in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is working to provide mental health first aid training across the United States. They recently launched the “Be 1 in a Million” campaign to train 1,000,000 people in mental health first aid, as “first aiders” to recognize and respond when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or substance abuse emergency. It is modeled after similar public health efforts aimed at teaching Americans how to safely administer life-saving first aid, CPR or automated external defibrillator assistance.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health, but too many people who have a treatable mental illness or experience mental health issues or addiction don’t get the help they need,” said Reed, a cosponsor of the Mental Health First Aid Act of 2015. “This campaign seeks to change that by empowering people to recognize the symptoms and reach out to those in need and refer them to the right services.”
Provisions of this legislation were approved by the Senate on Dec. 18, 2015 and will help fund mental health awareness training grants for communities across the country.
Rhode Islanders of all backgrounds who want training or more information about the program can visit www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.
