CANANDAIGUA – UR Medicine Thompson Health’s Wellness Department is providing a Mental Health First Aid class for community members. The course aims to help participants identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults.
The training, developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, is free of charge. It will take place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Wood Library in Canandaigua.
Previously offered multiple times to Thompson’s staff members, this marks only the second occasion the health system has extended the class to the community and the first time this year.
Wellness Coordinator Kristen Seyfried highlighted the significance of discussions about mental health. According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness.
“I think everyone sees the need for a course like this. Although this can help them with their job, the great thing about Mental Health First Aid is that it can also be used in all aspects of a person’s life, not just at work,” Seyfried said.
