Mental Health First Aid for North Dakota Counties
In the latest survey by the National Association of Counties (NACo), county leaders listed mental health and substance use as crisis-level concerns for their communities. Gallup research showed that 1 in 5 U.S. workers rate their mental health as fair or poor, resulting in four times more unplanned absences.
When employees feel that their employers care about their overall wellbeing, they are three times more likely to be engaged at work.
You can help your county employees become healthier and more engaged with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. In doing so, you can help achieve county mental wellbeing goals, like:
- Increasing employee productivity, morale and retention.
- Creating a positive workplace culture that embraces the mental wellbeing of all employees.
- Implementing best practices for self-care and building a resilient mindset.
- Building a common and approachable language around mental health in the workplace.
What is MHFA?
MHFA is a skills-based training administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges in their peers, friends and colleagues. Their vision is to make mental wellbeing, which is thriving regardless of a mental health or substance use challenge, a reality for everyone.
This workplace-specific training program, MHFA at Work, will teach your county employees how to notice and support an individual who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis in their work environment and connect them with appropriate employee and community resources. This training is available both in person and virtually.
Quality Health Associates of ND (QUAND) received a grant to provide FREE MHFA courses to anyone in the state of ND, including individuals who come into the state to work and go to school. To be as cost efficient as possible, QUAND provides this course virtually through Zoom, but it is a live, interactive course with two instructors. QUAND offers three courses a month.
For more information and class dates, contact Michelle Lauckner at mlauckner@qualityhealthnd.org or visit www.qualityhealthnd.org.