SHARON, Pa. — Penn State faculty members and certified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Peer Educators Roxanne Atterholt and Tammy Divens are offering free MHFA training sessions for interested participants in both the Beaver Valley and Shenango Valley communities in June.
The first session will be held on Monday, June 15, in the Penn State Beaver Student Union Building, and the second will be Thursday, June 18, in Penn State Shenango’s Chadderton Laboratory. Both sessions run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
These skills-based courses give attendees and industry professionals the tools to identify, understand and respond to someone who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge — and connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.
According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, one in five Americans has a mental illness, and the pandemic has dramatically increased depression and anxiety, but many are reluctant to seek help or don’t know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.
“Given the growing demand for mental health awareness and support, this training felt especially timely,” said Divens, teaching professor in Penn State Shenango’s occupational therapy assistant program. “It empowers both professionals and community members with the knowledge and tools needed to recognize and respond to mental health challenges. Our intent is to encourage the community and to bring hope.”
The training will be delivered in a blended format, meaning a portion of the training is done online and the rest will be done in-person with certified instructors. The online portion covers foundational knowledge, and the live session focuses on real-life scenarios, skill-building, and discussion. This approach allows participants to learn at their own pace initially and then reinforce their knowledge through interactive, guided learning.
“In many fields, this kind of training is becoming essential for creating supportive, healthy workplaces,” Atterholt, associate teaching professor of human development and family studies, said.
Registration for the Mental Health First Aid training session is limited to 30 participants at each session and closes on Thursday, May 28. The training is free and open to all interested community members and is especially valuable for human service workers, clinicians, educators, first responders, healthcare workers, human resources professionals, and anyone in customer service or social services roles.
Participants interested in attending the June 15 session at Penn State Beaver can register using this link. For those interested in attending the June 18 training at Penn State Shenango, use this link to register.
“Mental health resources are often out of reach for so many people,” Atterholt said. “Being able to offer this training for free removes a barrier and opens the door for more people to step up as helpers in their communities.”
Funding for the training sessions is provided by Penn State Shenango’s Kathleen and John Mastrian Community Health Impact Fund.