HUDSON – “During Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and year-round, UWSCV aims to decrease stigma and increase mental health literacy through Mental Health First Aid training,” said Community Impact Director and MHFA facilitator Alyson Sauter.

This month, United Way St. Croix Valley (UWSCV) celebrated training its 1,200th Mental Health First Aider, marking a milestone that felt nearly unattainable just a few years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic restricted inperson gatherings. The Sept. 15 training certified the Ells – worth  Public  Library  stau  members in Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and  was  the  first  Adult  MHFA course held in person since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the spring of 2020, UWSCV quickly shifted to virtual training opportunities, ensuring that individuals continued to learn vital tools for supporting individuals experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. With support from UW Madison’s Just Recovery grant in 2022, UWSCV partnered with the YMCA in Hudson to train a second Youth MHFA facilitator, increasing capacity for training throughout the St. Croix Valley region.

Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, public education program that teaches participants how to identify signs and symptoms of a mental health challenge or crisis and provide initial support to individuals in our communities through a 5-step action plan. The course is proven to increase participants'  confidence  in  helping an individual in distress, with one participant reporting, “I feel more pre- pared  and  confident  in  my  ability to support a young person who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The scenarios provided a great opportunity to practice the skills we learned.”

Since 2017, UWSCV has partnered with countless community groups, businesses,  and  non-profit  partners to provide training to  their  stau,  congregation,  volunteers, and community members. With the generous support of the St. Croix Valley Foundation, UWSCV continues to ouer youth and  adult training opportunities, including virtual, hybrid, and in-person options.

To learn more or to request training, visit our website or contact Alyson Sauter, Community Impact Director, at [email protected] org or 715-377–0203 ext 103.

Submitted by United Way St. Croix Valley