"Mental Health First Aid" at KADMIA in Southfield
Instead of a traditional chapter meeting on October 15, we will have a special program this day: we will be going to Kadima (where we volunteered in April) and participating in an all-day "Mental Health First Aid" workshop. This is a rare and tremendous opportunity!
We will meet at Kadima and be there for 7.5 hours, from 9:00AM - 4:30PM with a break for lunch; pizza and drinks will be provided. Kadima is located at: 15999 West Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076.
Relevance for Organizers: Consider this scenario: You’re working with a client, and you start to notice some troubling behavior or mood changes. Would you know how to get your client the right kind of help? Would you know what symptoms to look for as indications of depression or an anxiety disorder such as OCD, bipolar disorder or a panic attack? Or what if a client starts talking about suicidal thoughts?
Mental Health First Aid is a course designed to educate non-mental health professionals about common mental illness and mental health crises that occur in the United States today, and to provide training and education on how to provide emergency assistance until appropriate mental health care is located.
Mental health first aid is an extension of the concept of first aid for physical health crises, to cover mental health. While first aid for physical health emergencies is a familiar concept, conventional first aid training has not generally incorporated mental health problems in its scope.
Many people developing mental disorders do not get professional help or delay getting professional help. Someone in their social network who is informed about the options available for professional help can assist the person to get appropriate help and reduce the risk of the person coming to harm.
Jean Nemenzik, Kadima's Director of Clinical Services, will be running the training for us. Jean is a licensed master’s level social worker, receiving her MSW from the University of Michigan where she studied both macro and micro social work practice. Jean has 20 years of experience in social work and her areas of interest and expertise include divorce and custody mediation, social work education and training; and the administrative and clinical management of programs serving the severely persistently mentally ill in both clinical and residential settings. She also has extensive experience in the implementation and operation of evidence based practices including Assertive Community Treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Multi-Family Group Therapy, Parent Management Training and Motivational Interviewing. Prior to coming to Kadima Jean served as the Clinical Director for Hope Network, Behavioral Health Services for 7 years. She has also taught social work at Saginaw Valley State University and has worked in private practice at Catholic Family Services and the Dialectical Behavioral Center of Michigan.
Kadima is a Jewish mental health agency whose mission is to provide psychological services, residential options, supported employment and social activities on a nonsectarian basis. Kadima also provides public education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families affected by psychiatric disabilities. For more information: www.kadimacenter.org.
