The Drupal Community Working Group (CWG) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for a full-day Mental Health First Aid workshop on Sunday, May 17, 2020 (the day before DrupalCon Minneapolis begins) in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The workshop will be held "field trip" style; it will be held off-site, at the Health Counseling Services facility in Bloomington, Minnesota, from 8:30am-5pm. Transportation will be provided to and from a location near the Minneapolis Convention Center (the site of DrupalCon) to the workshop. Following the workshop, attendees are invited to (optionally) attend a pay-on-your-own group dinner to decompress and discuss the day's workshop.
The CWG believes that these types of proactive workshops will help improve our community's mental health literacy and awareness, as well as making it easier for us to have open, honest, and respectful conversations and potentially spotting signs of when community members are in need of assistance.
The Drupal Association is generously sponsoring the workshop by providing funding to help defer the cost of the workshop as well as providing transportation.
From the Mental Health First Aid website:
Mental Health First Aid is a course that gives people the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it does build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness.
Mental Health First Aiders learn a single 5-step action plan known as ALGEE, which includes assessing risk, respectfully listening to and supporting the individual in crisis, and identifying appropriate professional help and other support. Participants are also introduced to risk factors and warning signs for mental health or substance use problems, engage in experiential activities that build understanding of the impact of illness on individuals and families, and learn about evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies.
Over the past few years, the CWG has organized proactive community health events, including on-going Code of Conduct contact training, as well as previous DrupalCon North America trainings on leadership, teamwork, and communications.
In order for the workshop to proceed, we need at least ten community members to register by April 1, 2020 at https://healthcounselingservices.com/events/adult-mental-health-first-aid-11/.
When registering:
- Choose the "Pay now" option (do not select the "Bill my organization" option.
- Use the coupon code: MHFA30 to receive $30 off the regular price.
- For the "Name of organization", "Name of site", "Supervisor's name", and "Supervisor's phone" fields, feel free to use "not applicable".