Registration Open For Adult Mental Health First Aid Seminars In Western ND

Family and Community Wellness. The Adult Mental Health First Aid program assists participants to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health concerns, such as depression, and connect others with available resources.

Addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of those working in agriculture or other areas will be focused on in several upcoming seminars sponsored by NDSU Extension and FirstLink.

Registration is now open for three scheduled seminars in western North Dakota in the Adult Mental Health First Aid program.

The program, which is intended to address ongoing issues of farm stress and mental health in North Dakota, consists of a full-day educational training seminar. Taught by trained facilitators from FirstLink and Together Counseling, the training will provide participants with awareness and skills to support the mental and behavioral health of oneself, others working in agriculture, or those supporting the agricultural industry.

"Ongoing farm and ranch stress takes a toll on health, including one's mental and emotional well-being," says Sean Brotherson, family science specialist with NDSU Extension. "We say, 'Sometimes you need help; sometimes you are help.' Adult Mental Health First Aid is a program that is proven to elevate awareness and develop skills in recognizing mental health concerns and making connections to helpful resources."

Supported by the North Dakota Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center project, a federally funded grant to NDSU Extension from USDA-NIFA, the three scheduled seminars are free of charge to registered participants. "This program is possible because USDA-NIFA has recognized the importance of farm stress and is targeting resources at this particular issue. We are excited to partner with FirstLink in making this training available," notes Brotherson.

Each Adult Mental Health First Aid session consists of a six-hour training combined with two-hour self-study training. Though this particular set of seminars targets mental health in agriculture, anyone interested in the topic can register. Again, the costs of registration and materials are covered. A limited number of slots (30) are available for each training session, so interested individuals are encouraged to register quickly.

Upcoming training dates and locations for Adult Mental Health First Aid include:

• Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. – Beulah, ND (Beulah Civic Center)

• Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. – Williston, ND (Williston Research Extension Center)

• Nov. 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. – Watford City, ND (McKenzie County Extension Office)

Interested individuals may register via the FirstLink website, under the "Adult Mental Health First Aid" offerings, at: at https://myfirstlink.org/events/. If you have questions or would like additional information about the program, contact Brotherson at 701-231-6143 or [email protected]. Additional training opportunities will be forthcoming later this year.