The Do More Agriculture Foundation reports demand for mental health first aid training, being offered through its Community Fund for Mental Health First Aid, has been overwhelming.
The Do More Agriculture Foundation in partnership with Farm Credit Canada has established a one year pilot project under which mental health first aid training is being offered in rural communities across Canada.
Kim Keller, a Saskatchewan farmer and cofounder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation, says the application process was officially launched in early September and due to the overwhelming response, over 100 applications from communities and groups across Canada, applications were closed September 30th.
Clip-Kim Keller-Do More Agriculture Foundation:
Mental Health First Aid Training is actually a two day course.
It's actually a certification and it's the same as physical first aid training except it focuses on our mental health.
What it does is it helps people to understand different health issues, different mental illnesses and it also allows people to recognize signs and symptoms that someone may be experiencing a crisis and how to intervene in that crisis until professional help can be reached, whether that be calling 9-1-1 or ensuring that person is taken to their local emergency room.
I think what's really important is that it's not teaching you to be a therapist, it's not teaching you to be a doctor.
It's only teaching you how to respond in a crisis situation not unlike physical first aid would train you on how to respond if someone breaks their leg and until you get them to the hospital or 9-1-1 is contacted.
Keller notes the foundation will be announcing on November 1st the communities that will be receiving the mental health first aid training first and the other communities will be placed on a wait list and will be notified as funding becomes available to allow them to offer training.
Source : farmscape