“Everybody in the CAF should be taking this course!” was feedback that Andrea Pritchard, Veteran Family Program Navigator received after the last Mental Health First Aid – Veteran Community Workshop was held at the beginning of February. If you are interested to participate, the KMFRC VFP program has great news:We will be hosting our second free, in-person Mental Health First Aid – Veteran Community 2-day workshop on Monday and Tuesday, June 26th and 27th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This workshop is open to serving members, veterans, and their families, who have or are dealing with medical release. All attendees must be 18 or older. To register for this workshop, please email veterans@kmfrc.com. Should there be space, others in the community would be welcome to join.
Mental Health First Aid – Veteran Community is a course to provide knowledge and skills in dealing with a mental health problem or crisis. It does not train people to become counsellors or therapists, nor is it a form of treatment. Just like with physical first aid,however, we need to ensure that those most in contact with members of the Veteran Community can identify an emerging mental health concern and respond effectively in the event of a crisis. Participants will gain a solid understanding of the 5 basicactions of the ALGEE Model.
Assess the risk of harm and/or suicide
Listen non-judgmentally
Give reassurance
Encourage professional support
Encourage other supports
ALGEE is the framework used to facilitate a confident conversation about mental health with family, friends, colleagues and strangers.
Participants will be introduced to signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental health problems, learn to decrease the social distance between themselves and someone with a mental health problem, increase their confidence to help someone undergoing a mental health crisis, be able to identify professional and self-help resources and improve mental health wellness.
Space is limited for this event, so register early! For questions and more information, please email, or call Andrea Pritchard – Veteran Family Program Navigator at (613) 541-5010, ext. 4950.
*Please note that the date for the workshop might still be subject to change.