The Mental Health Program is offering a 12-hour mental health first aid training course in Western states, designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Growing evidence demonstrates that such training helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. Mental health first aiders learn to assess risk; respectfully listen to and support individuals in crisis; identify and contact appropriate professional help; and work in a variety of situations, such as helping someone through a panic attack or with an acute stress reaction, engaging with someone who may be suicidal, supporting a person experiencing psychosis, and helping an individual who has overdosed. Trainees are also introduced to the risk factors and warning signs of specific illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addiction; engage in experiential activities that build understanding of the impact of illness; and learn information about evidence-supported treatment programs. Training can be hosted at WICHE or on location. For more information contact Nicole Speer at 303.541.0257 or nspeer@wiche.edu. WCET is offering professional development-at-a-distance with its spring 2009 webcast series. The series kicks off on March 18 with “Loosely Coupled Teaching with Web 2.0,” followed by “Helping Students Avoid Plagiarism Potholes” on April 1, “Education to Go: Mobile Learning Today” on April 15, and “Innovations in Online Student Retention” on April 29. WCET members who purchase the entire series will receive a discount. For more information and to register, visit the WCET webcast page.

February 2009  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook