BayCare Offers Mental Health First Aid Training

Equips People to Help Those Experiencing Mental Health Issues

CLEARWATER, Fla., (September 17, 2018) -- If a friend or co-worker was experiencing a mental health crisis, would you know how to help? Many people have taken first aid training to be equipped to help in a medical emergency, but most people have no idea how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis. 

To equip more people to help those experiencing mental health issues, Tracy Daniels, a BayCare behavioral health educator, teaches Mental Health First Aid certification classes. These are eight-hour sessions that teach people how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and addiction.

For those who just want a brief introduction to the topic, Daniels will offer a one-hour basic Mental Health First Aid lecture Wednesday, Oct. 17 at noon at the Aging Well Center at The Long Center in Clearwater. This event is free and open to the public.

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year. Common mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, substance use disorder and bipolar disorder. 

Mental Health First Aid Training trains someone without a professional, clinical background to provide more early intervention for those developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training teaches a five-step strategy that includes assessing risk, respectfully listening to and supporting the individual in crisis, and identifying appropriate professional help and other supports.

About BayCare Behavioral Health
As part of BayCare Health System, a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area, BayCare Behavioral Health is committed to clinical excellence, innovation, and access to a continuum of recovery-focused therapeutic services. Care options include: inpatient; outpatient; early intervention and prevention; an employee and student assistance program; and case management services. Convenient treatment sites are located throughout the Tampa Bay area. For more information, go to www.baycare.org/services/behavioral-health. 

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.