Fredericksburg, Virginia – Suicide rates for Hispanic people in the United States have climbed dramatically in the past decade. And Hispanic adults are less likely to know about suicide prevention resources and mental health treatment options.
To address this disparity. Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, in partnership with Healthy Families Rappahannock Area, announces that it will offer Mental Health First Aid training in Spanish. The first session will be held Nov. 14.
While deaths by suicide climbed 16 percent from 2011 to 2022 in the United States, they rose by 39% for Hispanic people, according to analysis by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization. That group’s analysis also found that Hispanic adults were less likely to know how to find mental health providers or to know about the 988 mental health hotline which connects individuals with suicide prevention resources.
“Mental health and suicide can be intensely personal topics,” said Michelle Wagaman, director of prevention services for RACSB. “We know how valuable it is to be able to discuss these issues in the language you are most comfortable with, which is why we are excited about this new offering for our community.”
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. A program of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, MHFA teaches the skills and knowledge to help someone experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
RACSB started offering MHFA to the greater Fredericksburg community in 2014. Since then, the community services board has trained 4,291 individuals to respond to emotional emergencies. RACSB offers curriculums for adult, youth, higher education and public safety. The agency provides free community training sessions and also trains recruits at the Rappahannock Regional Justice Academy and resident life staff at the University of Mary Washington.
“We know that traditional first aid training saves countless lives, and we want Mental Health First Aid training to be just as prevalent,” Wagaman said. “We’ve been committed to expanding access to this training in our community, and providing MHFA in Spanish will have a powerful, life-saving impact on our community.”
Mental Health First Aid in Spanish will be offered Nov. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at RACSB’s River Club location, 10825 Tidewater Trail in Spotsylvania County. Signup online, https://www.signupgenius.com/go/RACSB-MHFA-Spanish. To find other upcoming MHFA courses, visit //rappahannockareacsb.org/trainings.
Founded in 1970, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) provides public mental health, developmental disability, substance abuse and prevention/early intervention services to the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. To learn more, visit www.rappahannockareacsb.org