The Hamilton County Health Dept. has partnered with Aspire Indiana Health to offer a series of free virtual courses designed to help residents improve their mental health. The three-week curriculum will cover trauma after a major life event, debunk myths about suicide and offer ways to determine a loved one’s suicide risk.
“Life can take a toll on our mental and physical well-being, especially after the year we’ve all been through,” stated Jim Ginder, health education specialist for the Hamilton County Health Dept. “There is no shame in asking for help. Behavioral health can take a real toll on our quality of life if left untreated.”
The first of three courses, Psychological First Aid, will be at 7 p.m. June 14. It is designed to help children, adolescents, adults and families in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The course will teach participants how to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short-term and long-term adaptive functioning and coping. To learn more and register, visit eventbrite.com/e/psychological-first-aid-for-covid-19-tickets-156905519633.
The second course, Question, Persuade, Refer, is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 21. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help. Participants will learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide, how to offer hope and how to get help. To learn more and register, visit eventbrite.com/e/qpr-suicide-prevention-training-tickets-92794848891.
The third course is an introduction to the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). It will be held at 7 p.m. June 28. Built by Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh, and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, it offers a standard, direct way to identify people at risk for suicide through a series of simple, plain-language questions that anyone can ask. To learn more and register, visit eventbrite.com/e/columbia-protocol-training-tickets-156935330799.
The virtual events are free, but registration is required.
