Be the One Who Helps Someone Get Help

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You may be the one person who recognizes …

• The signs of someone struggling with thoughts of suicide. 
• That your student, employee, co-worker, family member or best friend is depressed, anxious or seriously stressed.
• You are sitting near someone fighting substance use.

… and you might be the one person who helps them get help.

Oftentimes, signs of a mental health challenge can be first noticed in the workplace. Absenteeism may increase, quality of work decline or morale suffer. A 2022 study by Mental Health America found that 80% of employees say stress affects their professional and personal relationships. Odds are, there are employees in your organization right now who are battling a mental health challenge. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. The World Health Organization estimates they account for about 15% of working-age adults. Additionally, between 1999 and 2019, 841,000 people died from drug overdoses. And on average, 130 die by suicide every day.  As an employer, we know you want your employees to be healthy – mind, body and spirit.

For those experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge, early intervention is key to recovery and overall better health and well-being.

As part of its commitment to whole-person health, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification classes to help people learn how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges, how to provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care. To date, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has certified more than 1,200 Arkansans.

MHFA topics include anxiety, depression, psychosis and addiction.

MHFA helps reduce stigma around mental health, increase knowledge about mental health, raise confidence and provide tools for individuals who may encounter a person experiencing a mental health challenge.

Mental Health First Aid was created in Australia in 2000 by Betty Kirchener, an educator and mental health consumer, and professor Tony Jones, a mental health researcher. In 2008, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health brought MHFA to the United States, with the goal of making Mental Health First Aid training as common as CPR.

More than 160 million Americans live in areas underserved for mental health care. Someone certified in MHFA can help bridge that gap to care.

Certification in MHFA is ideal for anyone in leadership in a company, organization or community. MHFA first aiders do not diagnose or treat people they encounter. They simply assist safely and help the person get the appropriate professional help they need.

MHFA certification classes are provided throughout Arkansas. Classes can be conducted on-site at a company or in a community resource facility. There are a limited number of classes provided each year. Class size is limited to 25 to best facilitate an open discussion. At the end of the classes, participants will receive a three-year MHFA certification through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

If you, members of your HR team or other leadership in your company could benefit from this important training, please consider signing up for a class near you or arranging a class at your organization.

Learn more at arkansasbluecross.com/firstaid.