May 8
Over the past three years, North Shore Community College (NSCC) has trained more than 400 people in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). This training provides practical tools for helping those with mental health struggles, and NSCC students, faculty, and staff can earn their MHFA certification for free.
Mental health struggles are all around us—almost 1 in 10 Americans reported that they’ve experienced a mental health crisis in the past year. Many bystanders want to help, but they are unsure of what to do.
Questions abound
“If you see warning signs, how do you then approach that person? How do you support them and listen nonjudgmentally? How do you reassure them, and what resources do you give them? This training is like taking a CPR class: you're not going to be a physician, but you will have the basic skills to intervene and truly help someone,” said Susan Graham, executive director of Wellness and Accessibility Services at the College. Graham organizes more than 20 trainings a year on the College’s Danvers and Lynn Campuses.
Those basic skills are useful—in a study of New Yorkers trained in MHFA, nearly 90% of respondents applied MHFA skills within six months of training.
The training teaches participants how to approach and support someone who is struggling, how to listen without judgement, and how to connect them with resources, but it also tackles mental health stigma. The ultimate goal is early intervention: if we can intervene early and get someone the help they need, the faster they can recover.
“My number one takeaway is that I have the power to start the help process for someone,” said program participant and Coordinator of Transfer Services James Cristiano. “With this training I feel more confident and aware in serving our students and other members of our community. This training helps me to help the whole person.”
Faculty members receive stipend
NSCC has offered MHFA training since 2023. Generous funding from the Van Otterloo Family Foundation has enabled the College to train 10 program facilitators and to offer a stipend to faculty members who complete the one-day course.