When most people think of first aid, they imagine chest compressions and visible wounds, but Levi Kolich knows that often people\u2019s wounds and illnesses can be much tougher to see.<\/p>\n
The fourth-year Public Health student is taking part in the Mental Health and Addiction (HLSC 3P25) course that adds to the theory being taught in the classroom by ensuring every participant becomes certified in Mental Health First Aid.<\/p>\n
As one of more than 1,000 experiential education opportunities at Brock University designed to take students\u2019 learning beyond a traditional lecture environment, Kolich said the exercise has helped to provide a real-world connection for the concepts the class is learning about.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it has been really eye-opening,\u201d he said. \u201cDuring the beginning of the course, we learned a lot of stats about how evident and relevant mental health issues and disorders can be. Going through all of the hands-on scenarios for how to deal with someone experiencing mental health trauma has made me feel ready to assist in those situations when I see them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandy Howe, Brock\u2019s Associate Director of Experiential Education and one of two Mental Health First Aid facilitators to lead the certification exercise, said the training could be used in many areas of students\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning about how to have an uncomfortable conversation, both in their personal interactions as well as possibly in professional practice, is incredibly valuable and could ultimately save lives,\u201d she said. \u201cThrough simulated conversations, case studies, videos and discussion about personal experiences, they begin to build their practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The simulated exercises led by Howe and Julie Fennell, Brock\u2019s Health Promotion Educator, focus on five core principles, which spell the acronym ALGEE:<\/p>\n
Kolich said the acronym has helped to simplify the teaching to ensure everyone is ready to help someone in need.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a golden rule you follow when assessing a situation,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people have a hard time knowing what to do, but it provides you with steps and makes you feel more comfortable to confidently offer help.\u201d<\/p>\n
To accommodate the required training necessary to earn the certification, the course\u2019s instructor, Erica Bridge, set aside four weeks of class time at the beginning of the semester for students to complete the certification, which she said positively influences the rest of the course.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning about Mental Health First Aid at the beginning of the course positions us really well to learn what mental health challenges look like in minority populations, including new immigrants, Indigenous peoples, refugees and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As Kolich prepares to receive his formal mental health certification and apply it to the remainder of the course, he is ready to put the training to use after he graduates this spring.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping to become a teacher, and I know I\u2019ll be able to use this with students and co-workers as well,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know where to get help, but if they know I\u2019m trained, it might be easier to come and talk to me in the classroom and whenever else they might need support.\u201d<\/p>\n
To learn more about Brock\u2019s Experiential Education options, visit the Experiential Education website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Students in need of immediate, 24\/7 assistance can call\u00a0Counselling Services\u00a0<\/a>at 1-833-276-2533 or the\u00a0Good 2 Talk Hotline<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When most people think of first aid, they imagine chest compressions and visible wounds, but Levi Kolich knows that often people\u2019s wounds and illnesses can be much tougher to see.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":63781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,4],"tags":[7488,8670,3775],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63780"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63780"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63782,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63780\/revisions\/63782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}