Just as CPR can help someone save the life of a friend or neighbor, so will training in behavioral-health skills help protect people from serious mental-health issues in an increasingly stressed-out world.
That’s the plan at Mental Health First Aid Colorado, a statewide effort that combines public and private partnerships to train people in detecting emotional crises.
Started in 2008, it is now a national leader, having just won the 2012 Best Community Impact Award from Mental Health First Aid USA, which will be presented in April at the National Council Mental Health and Addictions Conference in Chicago.
The news is a boost for the state’s behavioral-health community because headlines usually focus on the state’s fragmented and underfunded mental-health system. Colorado ranks 32nd in the nation for funding mental-health care.
“Our goal is lofty — to increase mental-health literacy in the state of Colorado,” said George DelGrosso, executive director of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, at a news conference on Tuesday.
“We hope that as you see people getting their first-aid classes in how to bandage an arm or take care of a burn, they will also receive training in how to impact someone who has a mental-health or substance abuse disorder.”
Colorado has 136 instructors in its program — more per capita than anywhere else in the United States — and they have trained more than 3,000 others across the state, including people in law enforcement, fire departments, prisons and community centers.
Paul Siska, retired undersheriff of Adams County, has taught the classes to law enforcement professionals in Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs and Montrose.
“They’re tools you can use on a daily basis,” he said.
Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour training course that teaches people how to provide initial help to someone developing a mental-health problem or experiencing an emotional crisis.
They learn warning signs, how to listen without judgment and a five-step action plan to connect people in crisis to local support systems.
In Colorado, member organizations include the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the Colorado Sheriff’s Association, the Colorado Division of Behavioral Health and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
“The reality is that all of us need help at some time,” said state Rep. Ken Summers, R-Lakewood, a supporter, at the new conference.
“We live in such a challenging world, where there are stresses of almost historic proportions, and where there are issues of grief and loss that individuals confront on almost a daily basis.
“If we’re able to elevate the awareness that these issues are just part of the ups-and-downs of life, just like our physical health is, then hopefully we’ll be more proactive in seeking help.”
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083 or coconnor@denverpost.com
Whom to contact
For more information on Mental Health First Aid Colorado, visit or call 303-832-7594, ext. 204.
