Really? Do I look that much like ALGEE?

By David Joel Miller.

Just back from a Youth Mental Health First Aid Training. One of the other trainers took this picture and tried to assert that somehow I look like a relative of ALGEE. Really? Do I look that much like a koala bear?

For those of you not familiar with Algee or Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) let me catch you up.

Mental Health First Aid is this cool program that started in Australia and is now available in America. It is sponsored by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.

The goal of the program is to teach as many people as possible to recognize when someone is having a mental health problem. You can also learn some skills to be helpful and to get this person the help they need.

The program is not designed for professionals; after all, by the time someone gets to us, we already know they have problems. MHFA is designed to be used just like Medical First Aid in being helpful when there are no professionals around or until you can get help for the person experiencing mental health issues.

The training runs 8 information-packed hours and is conducted by certified trainers all over America and in many other countries as well. I have been an MHFA trainer in the Adult course for a number of years.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is not meant to be a training for young people but rather a course for adults who work with young people. The goal is to help adults who work with or around young people to better recognize and respond to emerging problems in the hope that early detection and assistance efforts may help prevent some mental health issues and may help to reduce the severity of others.

The Mental Health First Aid website has a list of certified trainers and scheduled upcoming trainings. Check there for possible trainings in your area. You are also welcome to contact me about trainings, I may be doing in the future.

While Algee and I may have some superficial resemblances I do not believe that we are in any way related. We are however both interested in helping to reduce the stigma around mental illness and to help people to cope with all of life’s problems.

How about you? Are you interested in becoming a Mental Health First Aider?

Related articles

• Could you use some help? (counselorssoapbox.com)
• Why are we so afraid of feelings? (madeleinemaya.wordpress.com)
• Have You Considered Taking The Mental Health First Aid Course? (cottonwooddetucson.com)
• Mental Health First Aid Training – Islington (islingtonblogs.typepad.com)
• Mental Health Monsters – Depression and Anxiety (counselorssoapbox.com)

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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