Just about everyone is familiar with First Aid and terms like CPR. This is essential knowledge for many people in the workplace where they may be in a position to care for a colleague, client or customer. First aid, delivered properly, can save lives, which is why such a level of importance is placed on this knowledge.

That's all very well for physical health, but what about people's mental health? One in five people in Australia suffer from a mental illness every year. That is just a statistic of course, so let's put it in perspective. If you have a workplace that employs twenty people, then four of them are likely to suffer a mental health issue in any one year. This could be a very common mental health issue such as depression or anxiety. However people you come in contact with may have more chronic issues such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Knowing how to deal with these issues from a mental health first aid perspective can be very helpful.

Mental Health First Aid is an invaluable skill to have amongst members of our community. The Loddon Healthy Minds Network have arranged for a course to be held in Mental Health First Aid on the 16th and 23rd of May from 9am to 5pm.

This intensive course will provide great skills in the mental health area. It doesn't matter if you are working in the health sector or not.  If you are involved with people, then the skills you will learn in this course will be invaluable.  Normally these courses can be a little cost prohibitive for community members. The Loddon Healthy Minds Committee has arranged for this course to be free so it is a great opportunity to attend. It is not often that Wedderburn plays host to such courses either. Normally you may well have to travel to Bendigo so it's another great reason to support this course in your community.