Thirteen Defenders Certified in Mental Health First Aid

by Meryl Carver-Allmond, BIDS Training Director

On Friday, August 19th, thirteen public defenders and staff, representing seven BIDS offices, gathered in Topeka to be certified in Mental Health First Aid.

While most of us are familiar with what first aid looks like for physical injuries, fewer know that first aid principles can also be applied when a person is having a mental health or substance abuse issue. Sponsored by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Mental Health First Aid teaches participants how to safely assess someone experiencing a mental health issue or crisis and attempt to get that person the help they may need.

A big thanks to Shelly Kelly, from the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, and Ramon Chavez, from the Family Service & Guidance Center, for coming to teach!

(And if you are a defender outside the greater Topeka area and missed this one, don’t worry — we will be offering a repeat session for our Wichita and Western Kansas offices soon.)