Mental Health First Aid is a key to our Future

Mental Health First Aid is a key to our future. A few weeks ago, a teacher in Westport spotted a student in distress with simple behavioral challenges. This effort offered some much needed support to a struggling teen. Children today struggle with a face pace world. Stories offered in sound bites and parents struggling adverse events happening at home. Sometimes people just need a “tune up” and mental health check up!

Thrive NYC believes it’s time for New Yorker's to have an open conversation about mental health. If you look at just some of the statistics they report, you’ll probably agree:

· One in five New Yorker's experience a mental health disorder in a given year.

· 18% of children aged zero-17 experience two or more adverse events such as divorce, domestic violence, or family financial strain. Exposure to these kinds of life events can make it more likely for children to develop mental illness later in life.

· 27% of public high school students in NYC report feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for the prior two weeks – a predictor of depressive illness.

· 230,000 veterans live in New York, and one out of four are estimated to have PTSD and/or major depression.

“New Yorker's need more tools to weather challenges and capitalize on opportunities,” the experts at Thrive NYC say. “We can make that happen by investing in prevention and early intervention.”

As part of the City’s Thrive NYC initiative, the NYC Department of Health is offering free Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to all New Yorkers. MHFA is a groundbreaking public education program that
teaches the skills needed to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges and crises.

MHFA leads to:

• Greater recognition of behavioral health challenges
• Increased confidence in one’s ability to help
• Increased amount of help provided
• Decreased stigmatizing attitudes while promoting inclusion

If you are interested, you can register online for one of the various certification programs offered.

If you are concerned about the well-being of a family member or friend, we encourage you to reach out for help.

Richard Sussman, a licensed transpersonal psychotherapist, offers depression treatment in NYC and CT, anger management therapy in NYC and CT and infidelity counseling in New York and CT as well as treatment foranxiety, guilt, grief, and self-esteem problems. If you would like to discuss your specific needs with him, call to schedule a free phone consultation. Richard will be happy to answer any questions you have
about therapy or his approach to practice. Call 212-874-9402 to reach the NYC office or 203-544-8418 to reach the Weston, CT office. #seesomethingsaysomething