Mental Health First Aid training programs are available to service providers who work with farm families, including co-op employees, crop and natural resources officers, veterinarians, bankers, clergy, school teachers, and many others. These programs are good for anyone interested in recognizing the signs and symptoms of personal stress. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, MHFA helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Through this course, you will learn risk factors and warning signs for distress and addiction concerns, strategies to help someone in a crisis and non-crisis situation, and where to turn for help.
At this time, there are OSUE persons who are certified Mental Health First Aiders (in youth and/or adults). Start by asking internally in your county who has been trained, so that you know if you have immediate access to a person. The statewide instructors of this program are working on a list of who these individuals are, and will be sharing this list as soon as it is complete.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services at https://mha.ohio.gov/ is available in every county of the state. Contact their offices for services outside of OSU Extension.
Updated: 7/5/2019