MHFA Monthly: Celebrating National Gratitude month

 

Hello, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) family! November is National Gratitude month, and many people use this month to think about what they are grateful for in their life. We are endlessly grateful to all of you in our Mental Health First Aid community! Practicing gratitude can have a big impact on your mental health, and even small things can be cause for celebration. Think about the past few days – have you achieved anything that went unnoticed? Cooking a delicious meal, starting a new book or chatting with a loved one? Take a moment now and congratulate yourself, and try and find one small thing to be grateful for each day this month. You may be surprised at the positive impact it makes. Check out the MHFA blog and remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the know on all things MHFA!     Support Caregivers with Mental Health First Aid “November can be a time for s’mores, warm hoodies and crisp air. For me, it’s also a time to reflect, educate, recognize and honor the more than 53 million unpaid caregivers in the U.S. These individuals passionately support family (89% of those caring for adults are taking care of a relative), friends and community members. More than a quarter (27%) of them are helping someone with a mental health challenge (Mental Health America, n.d.). So, this November, please join me in celebrating National Family Caregivers’ month.” Read more from MHFA National Trainer Karyn Feeny on how to support caregivers in your life.     Three Ways to Process Grief When someone we love dies, experiencing feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, regret, guilt and sometimes even relief, is common and natural. We all experience loss, and learning how to process that loss is a vital component to fostering resilience and overcoming adversity. The grieving process is unique to everyone, and while some may prefer to process grief individually, others benefit from family support or professional help. As a First Aider, it’s important to meet people where they’re at and respect their individual needs. Read more.     The Importance of Practicing Gratitude and Celebrating Small Victories While the end of the year is the time that most people think on what they’re grateful for, practicing gratitude year-round can have substantial mental health benefits. Research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. These effects disappeared within three to six months, which reminds us to practice gratitude over and over. Read more.     Giving Reassurance to Veterans on Veterans Day Earlier this month MHFA National Trainer Angela Leath shared her guidance on supporting veterans on veterans day. "This Veterans Day, it is important to remember that not every service member experiences Veterans Day in the same way. In fact, some prior service members may not consider themselves veterans at all. This is especially common for service members who have not had combat experience or may not have seen “action” when serving in a combat zone. For those who do consider themselves veterans, some enjoy being recognized for their service to our country; for others, the recognition may seem overwhelming or even undeserved. For years I fell into the latter category."  Read more.     Train to be a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor with Team: Changing Minds The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in collaboration with Futures Without Violence, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and founding investor Harry’s, has formed Team: Changing Minds, a national mental health response network specializing in reaching young men. In its first few years of operation, Team: Changing Minds seeks to reach 1 million people, starting with an inaugural group of 200,000 mental health responders, who will help young people recognize the signs of mental health challenges and connect them to support earlier in their lives before those challenges become crises.     We invite adults who actively engage with BIPOC male-identified youth to apply to receive virtual training to become a certified Youth MHFA Instructor. Apply today! Note: This application is only open to individuals who are currently not Youth MHFA Instructors.       Universities across the United States are expanding their focus on athletes’ mental health in the wake of several tragedies, according to this PBS NewsHour article. MHFA courses are mentioned as an important option for athletic department staff to be trained in moving forward, or places where it is already employed, like the University of Arizona. Schools are looking to support grieving student teammates, especially after only half of the 9,808 NCAA athletes who took a survey in late 2021 said they believe mental health is a priority to their athletics departments. Read more.     In Florida, schools in Hillsborough county are expanding their mental health outreach efforts, including Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), in response to rising numbers of students who are having difficulties, this Tampa Bay Times article reports. As of October, more than 12,000 school employees throughout the country have been trained in YMHFA. Read more.     Youth in Hawai’i have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to this 2022 study. Nearly 2,200 more youth struggled with anxiety or depression in 2020 than in 2016, an increase of 23%. In response to this urgent need to address the youth mental health crisis, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association is expanding funding for several programs, including their statewide Youth Suicide & Bullying Prevention program, which includes Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training. Read more.

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Mental Health First Aid Monthly Newsletter- NEW!

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Hello, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) family! June marks the beginning of summer, a time that many of us have been eagerly anticipating after what feels like an eternity of stay-at-home orders and canceled events. Unfortunately, mental health challenges don’t take a summer break, and feelings of anxiety can even increase as temperatures rise. We encourage all First Aiders to prioritize self-care this summer so you can continue to #BeTheDifference for the people in your life. MHFA recognizes that there is a serious mental health crisis in the U.S. A recent survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing shows that a staggering 43% of U.S. adults who needed substance use or mental health care in the past 12 months say they did not receive that care, and numerous barriers to access stand between them and needed treatment. That’s why it’s more important than ever for you to continue promoting mental wellbeing in your communities. In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month and PTSD Awareness Month, consider becoming a MHFA Instructor or encouraging your friends and family to get certified in MHFA to foster deeper understanding and destigmatize mental health challenges. Together, we can make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use, a reality for everyone.  Keep an eye on the MHFA blog for upcoming stories about summer wellbeing and more, and remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the know on all things MHFA!     Ignite Awareness: How to Be a Mental Health First Aid Ambassador It’s no secret that there is an unprecedented mental health crisis in the U.S. However, there is something we can do it about it. We know that the sooner a person experiencing a mental health challenge receives support, the more likely they are to recover. One of the best ways you can help destigmatize mental health and continue to make mental wellbeing a national priority is by spreading awareness of evidence-based trainings like MHFA.  Read more.     How Mental Health Challenges Can Manifest in Youth Because many symptoms of mental health challenges seem similar to aspects of typical adolescent development, it can be difficult to tell whether a young person is simply going through natural changes or developing a mental health challenge. This blog describes a few common youth-related mental health and substance use challenges and some of the signs of them. Read more.     How to Talk to Your Teen About Tobacco Use Tobacco use has often been portrayed as harmless, something the “cool” kids do, especially in popular TV shows aimed at teens. Considering that nearly 90% of adults who smoke daily started at or before 18, the teen years are a vital time to have conversations about preventing or stopping tobacco use with the youth in your life. Read more.     Bringing MHFA to Every Corner of the Country One in five adults in the U.S. reports living with a mental health challenge, yet only 10% of employees feel their workplace is free of stigma about mental health. MHFA and the National Association of Counties (NACo) will partner to bring MHFA training to county employees around the nation. Counties employ 3.6 million individuals, or 1% of the U.S. population, and this training will help those employees assist themselves, their colleagues and the communities they serve during a crisis or until professional treatment is obtained. Read more about the new partnership.     LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2022 Each June, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing comes together as an organization to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, reflect on the LGBTQ+ communities’ advancements and recognize their achievements. We also acknowledge their ongoing struggle for health equity, and honor those who work to achieve equal opportunity for people who identify as LGBTQ+. Join us as we bring awareness to the challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face, including those that impact their mental wellbeing. Here are some resources.     Click to download the graphics and show your support on social media!     Interested in mental health and substance use advocacy? Sign up for MHFA’s advocacy alerts and check out the Capitol Connector blog to learn how policy trends affect mental health and substance use treatment. Instructor Scholarships for College or University Staff and Faculty Members Do you know someone who works in higher education and would make a great MHFA Instructor? MHFA and Bioré Skincare invite you to nominate a higher education staff member or encourage them to apply to receive a free virtual training session and become a certified MHFA Instructor. Nominate a college or university staff or faculty member today and help make mental wellbeing a priority in campuses across America! Learn more. Share Your Recovery Story If MHFA has helped in your or a loved ones’ recovery journey, we want to hear from you! Stories are powerful, and yours could help inspire someone in need to keep going. Let us know how MHFA has made recovery a reality in your life.       American City & County covered the announcement that the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is partnering with the National Association of Counties to provide MHFA training to public service employees, who are increasingly feeling stressed, burned out and anxious. The new partnership will make assistance available to about 3.6 million county employees throughout the U.S. Read more.     Philadelphia-based NPR and PBS station WHYY published a story about the expansion of New Jersey’s ARRIVE Together program, which pairs police officers with certified mental health screeners to respond to relevant emergency calls. The program includes a focus on providing Mental Health First Aid training to law enforcement with the aim of diverting people away from the criminal justice system and toward the help they need. Read more.     This Catholic Review article discusses how the Archdiocese of Baltimore is providing free Mental Health First Aid training to parishioners and has already certified nearly 1,000 First Aiders through its Mental Wellness Initiative. Additionally, up to 200 teachers, principals and school counselors within Catholic Schools will receive Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training through the program this summer to meet the massive demand. Read more.