Conference presentation
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): Why and How?
Medical Library Association (MLA) / Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference (Detroit, MI , 05/17/2023 - 05/19/2023)
05/17/2023
Abstract
Because the COVID-19 Pandemic exacerbated behavioral health conditions and highlighted the need for more behavioral health advocacy/interventions, the workplace training program Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) may be of interest to health sciences libraries. MHFA training can help libraries educate staff, destigmatize mental illness, and provide de-escalation techniques to better meet their community’s needs. This talk will provide a detailed description of what MHFA training is, how it can be implemented at your library, and the benefits of the training.
MHFA is a standardized curriculum that teaches lay people how to respond to mental health crises and provides background education regarding mental illnesses. It is an eight-hour educational workplace training program taught by certified instructors. Just as CPR training teaches participants how to assist an individual having a heart attack, MHFA teaches participants how to assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. During MHFA, participants learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, de-escalation strategies for both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. MHFA includes many interactive learning opportunities that make applying the skills learned in a real-life situation easier such as role-playing and scenarios. Anyone can be certified as an MHFA instructor, by completing the instructor training course. Once certified, they can begin training others.
MHFA is a natural fit for libraries since a large part of the training is devoted to teaching participants how to provide reliable mental health information, resources, and appropriate behavioral health treatment options. It is relevant and appropriate for all library staff, especially public-facing staff, since it gives them skills to better cope with challenging public interactions. Additionally, there is a wide range of specialty MHFA trainings, depending on the target audience; for instance, there is one for Higher Education.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): Why and How?
- Creators
- Mary Margaret Thomas (Author) - University of Iowa, Hardin Library
- Resource Type
- Conference presentation
- Conference
- Medical Library Association (MLA) / Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference (Detroit, MI , 05/17/2023 - 05/19/2023)
- Number of pages
- 7 slides
- Language
- English
- Date presented
- 05/17/2023
- Description audience
- health sciences librarians
- Academic Unit
- Hardin Library
- Record Identifier
- 9984414260302771
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