PROMISE Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an 8-hour training course designed to give people the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
What do people learn in a Mental Health First Aid course?
Just like CPR training helps a person with no clinical training assist an individual following a heart attack, MHFA training helps a person assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis, such as contemplating suicide. In both situations, the goal is to help support an individual until appropriate professional help arrives.
MHFA teaches a single 5-step action plan that includes assessing risk, respectfully listening to and supporting the individual in crisis, and identifying appropriate professional help and other support.
Trainees are also introduced to risk factors and warning signs for mental health or substance use problems, and they engage in experiential activities that build understanding of the impact of illness on individuals and families. The course shares evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies.
What topics are covered?
MHFA covers depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.
MHFA trainees will also learn the 5-step action plan to respond to a variety of situations, such as helping someone through a panic attack, engaging with someone who may be suicidal, or assisting an individual who has overdosed.
How many participants are needed in order to have the training?
MHFA trainings should have at least 5 participants registered for the course and should not exceed 30 participants.
Does the Mental Health First Aid training have to be completed in one day?
No. If you do not wish to complete a 1-day training, we recommend splitting the 8-hour course into two 4-hour training periods.
Trainings can be arranged to best suit the schedule of the instructors or participants; however, participants MUST complete the full 8 hours of training to receive the certification.
How do I schedule a Mental Health First Aid training course?
Please contact Mary Nelson Robertson by email or by phone at 662-325-4447 for more information or to schedule a course.
Publications
News
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Longtime dairy farmers David and Will Gilmer made the tough decision six years ago to get out of the dairy cattle business. The father-and-son team decided to transition their farm to beef cattle. However, the beef cattle business comes with its own stressful challenges.
Dr. Kim Klunk expected a certain level of stress when she began practicing veterinary medicine two years ago near her hometown of Magnolia, Mississippi. “It’s one of those things that you hear other people talk about when you’re in vet school, but you don’t realize the complexity of all of it until you experience it yourself,” said Klunk, who works with her mother Dr. Rachel Bateman at her mixed-animal clinic in McComb. It’s a common realization for many veterinarians who deal daily with financial concerns, work-life balance, compassion fatigue and client relationships among other stressful challenges of the profession.
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Success Stories
In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.
When Kathryn Reed saw that young people in her community needed more opportunities to participate in activities to help them grow spiritually and personally, she took action.
“We have a lot of activities for adults in our community, but there was nothing for our pre-teens and teenagers,” explains Kathryn. “We are losing them when they get to that age.”
Extension destigmatizes mental health issues, one conversation at a time
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