Jim Perry, Downriver Community Council, Mayor William Wild, Westland, Chief Robert Dunlap, WCSD, Commissioner Eric Jones, DFD, Chief James Craig, DPD, Tom Watkins, DWMHA, Andrew Arena, Detroit Crime Commission
The Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority in collaboration with the Flinn Foundation began a special weeklong training for law enforcement and emergency first responders in Wayne County on Monday, Nov. 16. The likelihood that these men and women ‘committed to protect and serve,’ often encounter people struggling with mental health challenges on a regular basis.
“We strongly believe that if we invest in our emergency personnel and in our communities in something as important as mental health awareness and how to best handle different situations, then we all will benefit,” according to Tom Watkins, president and CEO of DWMHA.
Mental Health First Aid gives people the knowledge of the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including: depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis and psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and self-injury. It also provides the skills, resources and knowledge to assess a situation, select and implement appropriate interventions, and help the individual in crisis connect with professional care.
Additionally, mental health issues also affect officers’ limitations in understanding the behaviors of individuals with a mental illness within the communities they serve. Far too many emergency responders lack the depth of knowledge necessary to better assess and handle situations involving people with mental illnesses. Trainings are designed to teach people methods of assisting someone in a mental health crisis, or who may be in the early stages of experiencing mental health issues.
During the week of Nov. 16 to Nov. 23, dozens of local first responders will receive their training and certification from the National Council for Behavioral Health as Mental Health First Aid Instructors. The idea is for each organization to you have its own instructors on staff who can in-turn train other staff in Mental Health First Aid.
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