I would encourage anyone to take a Kenya Mental Health First Aid course. You never know when you’re going to have a situation when you’ll need to use the techniques. And you never know when your actions can make a difference in someone’s life.

“When you are providing services to people in crisis, taking your time, developing a rapport and developing trust is critical. Mending Minds Mental Health First Aid helped all of us develop those skills”

Too many of our young people are taking their own lives. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 24. It can be scary for an adult who suspects a child is thinking of hurting themselves. Where do you start the conversation? Teachers today are called upon to do much more than just teach their area of expertise, whether its math or English, art, or football. Teachers often play a critical role in the lives of children beyond the classroom.

I absolutely believe Mental Health First Aid should be required for our boots-on-the ground community leaders, like teachers and law enforcement officials, to be able to recognize mental illness and substance abuse.