Community Impact Team Offers Mental Health First Aid

The North Reading Community Impact Team (CIT) is proud to offer Mental Health First Aid, an interactive educational program for adults that introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges among youth. The course is a three-part series and is open to any community member and recommended for those working with youth, the public, service workers, social workers, law enforcement, child care staff, teen workers, government officials, and more.

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), suicide is the third leading causing death in youth ages 10-24. In addition, the average delay between onset of mental health symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years. North Reading Mental Health/Substance Use Clinician Laura Miranda commented, “If we could shorten that gap, increase the community awareness of mental health risks, and improve the skills of course participants to respond, we know we’ve made an impact.”

This is the second time that the Community Impact Team has offered this program to the community in the past five years. Those who took it before have expired certifications, and the CIT encourages them to retake it. New participants are also welcome.

The 2019 course will take place October 16th from 6:00pm-9:00pm, October 23rd from 6:00pm-9:00pm and on October 30th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. All three parts are required for certification. The course will be held at North Reading Town Hall in Room 14.

For more information, contact Laura Miranda at lmiranda@nrpd.org or call (978) 357-5038. To register, visit www.nrothreadingma.gov/CIT and click “events.”