Faculty, staff certified in Mental Health First Aid training; additional training opportunities to be offered

Sixteen faculty and staff have been certified to teach Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training through sponsorship by the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life and the Steps to Leaps campuswide initiative at West Lafayette. These individuals will lead future MHFA training sessions, which are designed to help individuals identify, understand and respond to mental illness while also increasing awareness of available resources. Training sessions will be offered to faculty and staff starting in December.

The eight-hour program helps participants learn the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health concern or experiencing a mental health crisis. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to recognize and respond to the warning signs and symptoms of a mental illness.

Individuals who have been certified to teach Mental Health First Aid are:

• Caitlyn Buchanan, Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
• Ryan Cabot, Animal Sciences.
• Julie Cox, Office of the Dean of Students.
• Floyd Craig, College of Education – Diversity and Inclusion.
• Cezanne Elias, Human Development and Family Studies.
• Miranda Endres, Residential Life.
• Zenephia Evans, Office of the Dean of Students.
• Marisa Exter, Curriculum and Instruction.
• Molly Gilbert, Boiler Success Initiative.
• Reuben Goforth, Forestry and Natural Resources.
• Michael Gref, Aviation and Transportation Technology.
• Abrar Hammoud, Technology Leadership and Innovation.
• Carol Ott, Pharmacy.
• Andrea Pires dos Santon, Comparative Pathobiology.
• Gene Spafford, Computer Science.
• Rebecca Sprague, Counseling and Psychological Services.

“Having more certified teachers will allow us to expand MHFA training sessions to better equip faculty and staff with the knowledge they need to assist students and colleagues who may be experiencing symptoms of mental illness or emotional crisis,” says Katie Sermersheim, dean of students. “Knowing that mental health is a rising concern across higher education and in local communities, it is imperative that our faculty and staff are prepared with knowledge and awareness in mental health and wellness.”

Through support from the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life and Steps to Leaps, MHFA training sessions are now being offered at no cost to members of the campus community. The eight-hour course is tailored to university culture and will include:

• A discussion of campus culture and its relevance to the topic of mental health.
• A discussion of the specific stress and risk factors faced by the higher education population.
• A review of mental health resources on campus and through partnerships in the community.

Upcoming training sessions will be available on the following dates. Each training session lasts from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes a free lunch.

• Dec. 11 (W) – Wilmeth Active Learning Center, Room 3122.
• Jan. 8 (W) – Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Rooms G124 and B124.
• Jan. 28 (T) – Third Street Suites, Conference Room 159.
• Feb. 11 (T) – Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, Room 1021.
• March 12 (Th) – Third Street Suites, Conference Room 159.
• May 13 (W) – Wilmeth Active Learning Center, rooms 3084 and 3121.

To view upcoming sessions and register, follow this link. Registration for dates with multiple sessions will be by date only. Participants will be notified which room they are assigned to.

Expanded MHFA training is part of Steps to Leaps, a campuswide initiative geared toward bolstering student success. Steps to Leaps is based on a set of five pillars to help students build lifelong habits in areas such as well-being, leadership, impact, network building and grit.

To learn more about Steps to Leaps, visit purdue.edu/stepstoleaps.