Mental Health First Aid Tuition
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Hi, I'm Ashley Payne, a former attorney living in North Carolina. I am raising money to cover tuition for me to become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor! The licensing course costs $2,000.00.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. The course teaches people how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The training helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses.
Why Is It Important To Me?
"Adults with severe mental illness account for one in four people killed in police encounters, and individuals with untreated mental illness face a 16-times-greater risk of being killed in a law-enforcement encounter compared to other civilians." 2015 Report, Treatment Advocacy Center https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/overlooked-in-the-undercounted.pdf.
As an abolitionist, I believe that we can exist in a world without police but we need a strategy to keep each other safe. Rather than relying on law enforcement to assist people in the midst of mental health crises like Pamela Turner, Deborah Danner, Anthony Hill, and Dennis Carolino, we can teach each other in the community how to intervene until medical professionals can provide care.
I had the pleasure of taking Mental Health First Aid for both Youth and Adults in 2019 and the skills that are taught can be beneficial to deescalate crises. Not long after I attended the courses, I had to use the skills I learned to assist a relative that was experiencing suicidal ideations. The course not only helped me assist my loved one, but I was also able to empower several family members who also were in community with our relative so that they also could utilize the techniques I learned.
I want to become an instructor so that I can expand the base of people who have access to the courses. Because we live in a country with inadequate healthcare, we know that many of our loved ones and neighbors experience mental health crises, and we want to be able to keep them safe while also ensuring they get access to the treatment they need.
My hope is use my certification to work with organizations and individuals who are in community or direct services work with people who deal with mental health and substance use issues. I hope to build a more informed and more compassionate community that feels equipped to assist our friends, relatives or neighbors should they find themselves in crisis.
What I Need!
I need your help to cover the costs of tuition. I hope you will consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. My deadline to pay the tuition in full is October 2, 2020 and the course will take place VIRTUALLY, in November.
For accountability, I am including a copy of the email acceptance I received for the Instructor Course.
It would mean the world to me to become certified and help get others trained in MHFA across my community. I am deeply grateful in advance,
Ashley Payne
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. The course teaches people how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The training helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses.
Why Is It Important To Me?
"Adults with severe mental illness account for one in four people killed in police encounters, and individuals with untreated mental illness face a 16-times-greater risk of being killed in a law-enforcement encounter compared to other civilians." 2015 Report, Treatment Advocacy Center https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/overlooked-in-the-undercounted.pdf.
As an abolitionist, I believe that we can exist in a world without police but we need a strategy to keep each other safe. Rather than relying on law enforcement to assist people in the midst of mental health crises like Pamela Turner, Deborah Danner, Anthony Hill, and Dennis Carolino, we can teach each other in the community how to intervene until medical professionals can provide care.
I had the pleasure of taking Mental Health First Aid for both Youth and Adults in 2019 and the skills that are taught can be beneficial to deescalate crises. Not long after I attended the courses, I had to use the skills I learned to assist a relative that was experiencing suicidal ideations. The course not only helped me assist my loved one, but I was also able to empower several family members who also were in community with our relative so that they also could utilize the techniques I learned.
I want to become an instructor so that I can expand the base of people who have access to the courses. Because we live in a country with inadequate healthcare, we know that many of our loved ones and neighbors experience mental health crises, and we want to be able to keep them safe while also ensuring they get access to the treatment they need.
My hope is use my certification to work with organizations and individuals who are in community or direct services work with people who deal with mental health and substance use issues. I hope to build a more informed and more compassionate community that feels equipped to assist our friends, relatives or neighbors should they find themselves in crisis.
What I Need!
I need your help to cover the costs of tuition. I hope you will consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. My deadline to pay the tuition in full is October 2, 2020 and the course will take place VIRTUALLY, in November.
For accountability, I am including a copy of the email acceptance I received for the Instructor Course.
It would mean the world to me to become certified and help get others trained in MHFA across my community. I am deeply grateful in advance,
Ashley Payne
Organizer
Ashley Payne
Organizer
Cary, NC