Kane County aims to train 2,000 people in mental health first aid

You suspect something is not right with a friend. Maybe a change in behavior or concerning comments have you worried about a mental health issue.

But what can you do?

Perform mental health first aid, experts say. And Kane County is aiming to provide training for that aid to 2,000 people by the end of the year.

Knowing what to look for, how to talk to people about mental health and substance abuse, and what resources are available to help are useful tools to have ready, akin to knowing CPR, according to local health authorities.

“Most of us are going to have a friend or relative or coworker who is going to have an issue,” said Michael Isaacson, executive director of the Kane County Health Department. “Just like CPR (training), over time, this is something everybody can benefit from.”

The county has spent $75,000 to increase the number of people who can teach mental health first aid.

“Our goal is to train a huge portion of the population,” Isaacson said.

Kane County used federal COVID-19 relief money to pay the Family Services Association of Greater Elgin to train 15 instructors last April, and to coordinate classes for the community.

Those instructors then began teaching the eight-hour classes last year.

“We know it is a big commitment,” said Ashley Kellenberger, violence prevention coordinator for Family Services Association and the organization’s point person for the mental health first aid program.

She said one in five people in the United States has a substance abuse or mental health diagnosis, and that nationwide, 130 people a day kill themselves.

The idea of mental health first aid was created in 2001 in Australia, according to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The council says that since it was introduced in the United States in 2008, more than 4.5 million people have undergone training.

That would include several hundred East Aurora District 131 employees, the staff of the DuPage County Health Department, workers at the Kane County Forest Preserve District and residents of Lake County, which has offered the training since 2018.

The Lake County Health Department has trained 3,713 people, and as a result, 12,821 people have been referred to treatment or other resources, according to a spokesman.

“Mental health problems are common and, unfortunately, are often associated with stigma. As a result, people are not always well-informed and may not know what to do if they encounter someone who needs help,” said Chris Hoff, executive director of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center.

“Mental health first aid training promotes the understanding and education needed to empower the Lake County community to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders.”

In the classes, people learn signs and symptoms of mental health problems, as well as substance-abuse disorders. And they learn how to get over any reticence to ask someone about it.

“The whole point is geared toward helping people have conversations,” Kellenberger said. “Like how to ask people if they are suicidal.”

What if somebody is having an acute episode with abnormal behavior?

“Part of the training is to figure out what is a safe and appropriate way” to approach a person, Isaacson said. The training answers “What do I do first?” which may include calling the 988 mental health hotline to have them talk you through de-escalating a situation, Isaacson said.

“It can be very scary at first,” Isaacson said. “This type of training has made me feel more comfortable in situations.”

In Kane County, people interested in being trained should contact Kellenberger at AKellenberger@fsaelgin.org, or call (847) 695-3680.