I am a mom, colleague, family member and friend. I have three teens, pray for me, and lived experiences that made me believe I knew the best way to communicate in any situation and with those around me. However, this belief was far from the truth. I learned quickly that just because I was raised a certain way doesn’t necessarily equip me with the tools I needed to help my own child and family when in need. By staying open minded, always learning, and utilizing the tools I’ve learned is what will change and save lives.
There was so much that I did not take into consideration prior to taking the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) in 2017. That one eight-hour training changed my entire perspective on life. I learned there are several effective ways to communicate with children, family, and friends. I also learned that there are warning signs to watch for when someone is unwell or in crisis, how to rephrase comments and questions, and ways to ask tough questions. It provided me with tools to better assist not only my family and friends, but colleagues as well as our rural community members. This YMHFA training inspired me to get certified as an Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor with a focus on the Fire/EMS community-specific course. With the funding support from Care Compass Network (CCN), my colleague and I became certified in September 2018 and immediately began delivering the training in our rural community thus impacting over 1,200 lives. In 2019, we became certified YMHFA curriculum trainers and have reached and trained over 3,000 lives. In 2022, we became certified as Teen MHFA trainers which focused on training 10th-12th graders in 16 area schools. In just two short school years, we successfully trained over 2,330 teens!
These training workshops are for everyone. It is a great way to start a conversation about mental health and minimize the stigma associated. I cannot express enough that the training is for every parent, guardian, caregivers, coach, teacher, bus driver, daycare provider, and anyone else who has children and adolescents in their life. The MHFA training, along with being a part of the CCN Regional Trauma-Informed Care Team not only changed my life, but it has also potentially saved thousands of lives within our community including our youth.
The Youth MHFA curriculum has always been near and dear to my heart being a mom of three teens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realized and recognized that one of my children was struggling after having all their sports, friends, and family taken from them during the period of isolation. The training that I received from my YMHFA course along with my training and knowledge from the CCN Regional Trauma-Informed Care Network (RTIC) had a positive influence in my life both personally and professionally. It made me notice the warning signs that my child was showing and equipped me to have a more informed conversation. I firmly believe these tools allowed me to save my child’s life.
Research supports the idea that the quality of an individual’s relationships and social networks influences their risk of developing mental health or substance use disorders, which often coexist. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which oversees the MHFA program, if 1 in 15 Americans become certified, nearly every American could have a Mental Health First Aider in their close circle of friends, family, or peers. Applying this concept, the 6,500 people certified in MHFA curriculums could potentially impact up to 97,950 individuals. Be the 1 in 15 and help us save a life one person at a time!
This life changing training provides everyone with the opportunity to gain experience, skills, and have access to resources which can make a huge difference in someone’s life. That is why I feel so passionate about teaching MHFA to our community. It takes one person to save a life and that’s what my mission and our mission at Madison County Rural Health Council is all about.
About the author:
Jamie Hagenbuch is the Program Manager for Mental Health First Aid for Madison County Rural Health Council. With a passion for making a positive impact in individual’s lives, improving access to services and building a resilient community, Jamie became a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor accredited by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in 2018. She is trained in multiple curriculums including Adult, Fire/EMS, Higher Education, Public Safety, Rural Communities, teen and Youth. Since 2018 she has trained and impacted over 4,000 lives including more than 2,000 teens in over 16 school districts. Jamie was recognized by The National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a Top Instructor of 2022 for her work throughout New York State and beyond. Jamie is also a proud member of the Care Compass Regional Trauma Informed Care Network (RTIC) team.
Visit us at https://care-compass.org/about-us/ccn-collaborations/ to learn about the CCN RTIC team and/or to request access to any of our TIC resources, programs, reports, and toolkits!
Research articles:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5633215/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410387/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330720/full