Mental health first aid training being offered

The Kingston Greenwood Mental Health Association (KGMHA) is holding a basic mental health first aid course at the Kingston Fire Hall on May 28 and 29.

The course, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, is a certificate program managed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The maximum number of participants is 25.

Prior to COVID-19, the

KGMHA would offer two or three training sessions each year, certifying several hundred people during its years of operation. This upcoming training will be the first onsite course in more than two years.

The association is a small, local not-for-profit organization, offering the training at a reduced participant fee made possible through fundraising efforts. Courses from private providers normally costs between $150 and $250. The registration fee for the Kingston course is $40 with the Valley Credit Union helping to fund this training course.

The training is focused on improving mental health literacy and providing skills and knowledge to help people manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend, or a colleague.

Like standard first aid, the training offers help to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

The interventions applied are intended to be delivered until professional help is attained or until the crisis is resolved.

For more information or to register, call 902-7653902 or email dwyerdj@ ns.sympatico.ca.