The Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) has been at the forefront of the evolution of emergency management, combining the head-heart approach for a fully integrated response to survivors of traumatic loss. Practicing consciousness in the workplace involves caring for people first, without exception.
Mental Health First Aider through the FAERF Institute
Written by: Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
May 2023
Become a Mental Health First Aider through the FAERF Institute and add this badge to your signature:
Programs presented by the Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) and the FAERF Institute are dedicated to bringing compassion consciousness to work. In 2021, the Foundation began offering classes in Mental Health First Aid, and today we have certified over 100 Mental Health First Aiders and conducted a total of 14 classes.
The National Council for Behavioral Health declared May 2023, as the official Mental Health month. As our way of honoring the importance of Mental Health First Aid and May as Mental Health Month, the FAERF Institute conducted two classes—a face-to-face training in Miami, FL and a virtual class where sixteen human resource professionals for a major cruise line were certified.
Mental Health First Aid and Traditional First Aid Provide Temporary Relief—that leads to long-term benefits
Although it’s relatively new, in principle, MHFA takes the same approach as traditional first aid: offer short-term comfort to someone until professional assistance or support from a family member or peer arrives. Just as many employees of our corporate members are accomplished in the practice of CPR, many are adding certification in Mental Health First Aid, recognizing the importance of emotional support, once physical survival is assured.
Mental Health First Aid is evidence-based
Peer-reviewed studies from Australia and across the globe show that the program saves lives, improves the mental health of the individual administering care and the one receiving it, expands knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, increases the services provided, and reduces overall social distance toward individuals with mental illnesses by improving mental health literacy. Research reveals that those who are trained in MHFA have greater confidence in providing help to others, a greater likelihood of advising people to seek professional help, greater agreement with health professionals about treatments, and decreased negative attitudes.
Through Mental Health First Aid, more than 2.6 million people are trained to help their peers, neighbors, colleagues and friends. Join this community and #BeTheDifference today. Contact us at the FAERF Institute (rosangela.maxwell@aviem.com) and sign up for one of our training classes.