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For Immediate Release
Date: September 18, 2019
Contact: Hannah Goering
hgoering@lakecountyil.gov
(847) 377-8099
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Health Department Seeks Mental Health First Aid Instructors
Waukegan, Ill. — The Lake County Health Department is seeking passionate people to become Mental Health First Aid USA instructors and help fight the stigma surrounding mental health. Approved applicants must attend the 5-day instructor training held October 28-November 1, 2019 at the Lake County Health Department, 3010 Grand Avenue, Waukegan.
“In the United States, only 41 percent of the people who had a mental disorder in the past year received professional health care or other services,” said Sam Johnson-Maurello, the Health Department’s Director of Behavioral Health. “We need people representing every facet of our community to be trained in Mental Health First Aid so they can help those who are experiencing a mental health crisis.”
Approved instructors learn how to teach the Adult Mental Health First Aid course, including the five-step action plan, evidence-supported treatment, and self-help strategies. Instructor training normally costs $2,000 per person but is being offered for free to qualified applicants. In exchange, individuals who take the course agree to teach three 8-hour Mental Health First Aid classes in 2020.
To learn more and apply, visit www.mentalhealth.today/instructor or email info@mentalhealth.today. Applications are due September 27, 2019.
To be considered for certification, candidates must possess empathy towards individuals with behavioral health challenges and should have enthusiasm to reduce stigma associated with mental illness. Applicants should also have:
- A general knowledge of mental health and substance use issues
- Experience teaching groups of adults
- Understanding of best practices in adult learning
- Experience facilitating groups
In October 2018, the Health Department received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help expand and improve Lake County’s Mental Health First Aid training initiatives. Through the grant, the Health Department is training 30 individuals per year to become instructors. In turn, those individuals will train 2,250 community members over a three-year period.
About the Lake County Health Department: The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is a county health department, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and a direct provider of behavioral health services to residents of Lake County, Illinois. The Health Department’s mission is promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Lake County. To accomplish this mission, the Health Department works closely with community partners to address the social, economic, and environmental causes of health inequity. For more information, visit health.lakecountyil.gov.
About Mental Health First Aid USA: Mental Health First Aid USA is an 8-hour training to teach participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it helps trainees identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
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 On September 12, 2019, volunteer Mental Health First Aid USA instructors and community partners gathered at Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan to celebrate their efforts in teaching adult Mental Health First Aid classes in Lake County. To date, the 26 instructors certified in February 2019 have trained 438 community members in Mental Health First Aid, and over 500 referrals to mental health services have been made. Photo Credit: Bryan Zamora, Lake County Health Department. Click here to download a high resolution photo.
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