First aid and CPR classes have been taught across the nation for years now, giving people with no medical training lifesaving skills in the event of a medical crisis. People suffering from mental health problems can pose a life-threatening crisis as well.The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota offers lay people a class called Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) that will give them the skills needed to respond in cases of a mental-health crisis.“In a similar way to how regular first aid teaches people BAC (breathing, airway and circulation), in mental health first aid there’s an acronym ALGEE. It stands for assess for risk of suicide or harm, listen non-judgmentally, get appropriate information and support, encourage appropriate professional help, and encourage appropriate self-help,” explains Anna McLafferty, the course instructor.MHFA has been taught in the Minnesota for just a little over two years now. The concept originated in Australia, and in 2009 the National Council on Behavioral Health brought it to the U.S. It is now being offered as a 12-hour course.The class gives students an overview of mental health problems prevalent in the U.S., the mental health first-aid action plan, and familiarizes students with ALGEE by explaining different mental-health concerns. The conversation begins with depression, since it is the most common mental-health concern, focusing on the “A” in ALGEE: Assess for suicide or harm.“The risk of suicide is going to be elevated for anyone who lives with a mental illness,” McLafferty explains. Continue Reading