Mental Health First Aid

Family matters, especially divorce can trigger emotional distress in many people. Now, add in the fact that one or more party in the case is suffering a mental illness. The stresses and challenges of any changing family can increase a client’s vulnerability to emotional distress. Our office wants to offer empathy, respect, and understanding during these difficult times. We have committed to learning more about mental health. The first step towards this commitment was having several staff members attend training to become certified to administer Mental Health First Aid. Through the first aid training the staff learned more about the signs of addiction and mental illness, 5-step action plans to assess a situation and help in that situation, the impact of mental and substance use disorders, and to identify local resources and where to turn for help. Thank you to Marcela Hernandez, Heather Carpenter, Victoria Kerwin, and Adele Woodrow for their ongoing commitment to our clients and our community by becoming certified in Mental Health First Aid.