KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- When a member of Team Kirtland falls victim to injury or illness, chances are a fellow Tiger will respond by treating initial symptoms and calling for expert help. Self-Aid and Buddy Care, CPR, Combat Skills Lifesaver and other types of first-aid training enable people to make a difference until medical professionals can take over. This type of intervention can be a matter of life and death.
The same urgency can apply to someone suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues. Fortunately, training in mental health first aid gives people that same difference-making potential, according to Wendy Linebrink-Allison, program manager of New Mexico Crisis and Access Line.
Linebrink-Allison is collaborating with Kirtland’s Community Support Coordinator to conduct a Mental Health First Aid workshop June 6 at 8 a.m. in the Wing Presentation Center (377th Air Base Wing Headquarters, Bldg. 20640).
“Anyone, anywhere can be the one to make a difference in the life of someone with a mental health or substance use challenge – if they know what to do and what to say,” Linebrink-Allison said. “Mental Health First Aid can offer someone the opportunity to learn the skills that can support someone that is struggling with a mental health or substance use concern.”
The one-day course is about building mental health literacy, helping people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. Topics covered include depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorders, Linebrink-Allison explained.
“Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency – the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well. Just as CPR training helps a person with no clinical training assist an individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid 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,” Linebrink-Allison said.
Participants are also introduced to risk factors and warning signs for mental health or substance use problems, and engage in experiential activities that build understanding of the impact of illness on individuals and families, and learn about evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies, Linebrink-Allison explained.
Intervention skills taught in the workshop can be applied to situations such as panic attacks, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, non-suicidal self-injury, acute psychosis, overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use, and reaction to a traumatic event.
“The opportunity to practice — through role plays, scenarios, and activities — makes it easier to apply these skills in a real-life situation,” Linebrink-Allison said.
For more information or to sign-up for Mental Health First Aid, contact the Kirtland CSC, Teresa Reinhard, at 505-846-6427, or via email at teresa.reinhard@us.af.mil.