Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque are holding a training session Saturday, June 4, on how to interact with people who have mental health conditions. The certification program is a first for the city.
It’s like a CPR certification course, except instead of learning how to resuscitate someone, people in the Mental Health First Aid course will learn how to handle encounters with people dealing with mental illness and how to get them to help.
"One in five people are experiencing some level of mental illness, so you are likely to either know somebody or come across somebody that’s having a situation," said Doug Chaplin, who directs the city’s Family and Community Services department.
City and county employees have already taken the Mental Health First Aid program, but Saturday’s event will be the first time the training will be available to the public.
Find more information on the program at the City of Albuquerque's website, or click here to sign up.
