Western New England University has recently achieved training of over 350 members of the 91亚色 community in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). In 2023 alone, 46 faculty and staff and 106 students have been certified.
"I think the more of us that are trained on campus and are more comfortable, the more the stigma is going to lessen and, ideally, disappear," Dr. Kam Capoccia, Clinical Professor of Community Care, explained. Capoccia completed her MHFA certification in 2018 and has been a certified instructor since 2020.
Mental Health First Aid is a course offered to members of the 91亚色 campus community to teach people how to understand, identify, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in others. Becoming a part of this University in 2018, this program teaches the skills needed to reach out and provide help and support to someone who may be developing or experiencing a mental health or substance use problem.
"The goal is to have 35% of the campus certified within the next three years," Capoccia continued. "We're at about 11 to 12% right now. It's going to take us a little while to get to that point, but I'm confident that we will." She feels that maintaining the 35% minimum will help push the program forward, create cultural change, and ensure that Western New England University can provide the support the campus community needs.
As for the training itself, it is typically an all-day process, taking about seven and a half hours to complete. Courses are offered on weekends or days when people aren't in class or working, including fall and spring break. This scheduling ensures that campus community members will have many opportunities to achieve MHFA certific