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Washburn Center offers free mental health first aid training.

As intensity of children’s mental health crisis mounts, adults have a new opportunity to learn how to respond when kids need them most.

MINNEAPOLIS, July 19, 2023  – Washburn Center is offering four free training courses to educators, school staff, and adults who teach, coach and guide kids.

The full-day instructor-led classes will be held at Washburn Center’s Training Institute on 1100 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, 55405 on August 25, 2023; September 11, 2023; September 22, 2023, and October 18, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Classes are limited to 30 individuals and additional classes may be offered depending on demand.

The course fees are generously covered by a grant from the Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program yields learning around emotional well-being, de-escalation of crisis situations and appropriate and safe responses to youth experiencing mental health challenges. It’s designed for teachers, paraprofessionals, childcare workers, administrative staff and those whose jobs and lives put them in spaces with youth.

After the training, attendees will know:

  • How to interpret distress in kids, including:
    • Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
    • Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.
  • How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis.
  • How to de-escalate and support them.
  • How to connect the youth with help.
  • Expanded content on trauma, substance use, self-care and the impact of social media and bullying.

Washburn Center has a team of certified mental health first aid trainers who can partner to deliver the program to your team or audience. Businesses and organizations can contact our Training Institute team to plan and schedule customized training.