Success StoryMental Health First Aid



Mental Health First Aid

Author: Kerri Ashurst

Planning Unit: Family and Consumer Sciences

Major Program: Empowering Community Leaders (general)

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Dr. Ashurst and Tyrone Atkinson co-facilitated a total of 5 different 2-day Mental Health First Aid - Adult trainings. A total of 68 people were trained in addition to the 81 already trained in the previous reporting year for a total of 149 now trained in Mental Health First Aid - adult program that are working with Kentucky Cooperative Extension as agents, specialists, staff, and collaborators. Of the 149 trained total in Kentucky, an average content score of 4.73 of out a maximum score of 5 has been given for how important participants feel the content is from this program.



From the 68 people trained, 65 completed evaluations. Upon completion of the training, evaluations showed:

- 89% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to recognize the signs that someone may be dealing with a mental health problem or crisis after the training.

- 88% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to reach out to someone who may be dealing with a mental health problem or crisis after the training.

- 86% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to ask a person whether s/he is considering killing her/himself after the training.

- 91% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to actively and compassionately listen to someone in distress after the training.

- 90% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to offer a distressed person basic "first aid" level information and reassurance about mental health problems after the training.

- 90% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to assist a person who may be dealing with a mental health problem or crisis to seek professional help after the training.

- 90% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to assist a person who may be dealing with a mental health problem or crisis to connect with community, peer, and personal supports after the training.

- 93% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to be aware of their own views and feelings about mental health problems and disorders because of the training.

- 92% agreed/strongly agreed they were better able to recognize and correct misconceptions about mental health and mental illness as they encounter them because of the training.

Exemplary quotes included: 

"I feel Kerri lives what she teaches.  You can tell she is very supportive of this program and has a genuine caring for others."

"Awesome training; your open conversations made the class more personal."

"Great use of scenarios, group work and effective activities. loved the open discussion."

"very informative, clear, concise, interesting and knowledgeable."

"Instructors truly listened to participants."







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