Most people know what to do during a medical emergency — call 911, perform CPR or provide first aid. But when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, many people aren’t sure how to respond. Mental Health First Aid training aims to change that.

Residents in Mt. Lebanon and surrounding areas learned those skills Saturday during a free Mental Health First Aid training at the municipal building. The session, led by Jacqui Stilson, LCSW, social services coordinator for the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, helped participants recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges and respond appropriately.

“Mental Health First Aid helps give you the skills to talk to somebody that you might know — like a loved one, a friend, a coworker — [and] give you the skills to have a conversation with them about their mental health,” Stilson said. “A lot of people might be concerned about somebody, but might not know what to say.”

The training marked the first time the municipality has offered the program to the public. Stilson said she initially completed the certification to train police officers.

“All of our officers now have mental health first aid training, and most of them also have CIT training,” Stilson said, referring to Crisis Intervention Team Training, a 40-hour program focused on de-escalation and connecting individuals to community-based resources.

After seeing its impact within the department, Stilson said she wanted to expand the training to residents.

Participants learned how to identify warning signs, start supportive conversations and guide individuals toward professional help. The course also introduced an action plan that teaches participants to assess risk, listen nonjudgmentally, provide reassurance and encourage appropriate support.

The training is designed for people without a professional mental health background and aims to build confidence in responding to real-life situations. Scenarios can include situations such as helping someone experiencing a panic attack or responding to more severe symptoms of mental illness.

“That way you can talk to a stranger and feel comfortable helping someone through a crisis and keep it from getting worse,” Stilson said.

Khaldun El-Dughalib, Morrison Drive, who works in public service, said the training emphasized the importance of awareness and compassion. 

“By just being an active listener, that helps people,” he said. “This gives me the confidence to not only recognize when someone is struggling, but also to step in, listen and truly make a difference.”

Virginia Kreisel, a nurse from Castle Shanon, said she took the course to feel more prepared to help both patients and others in the community.

She said the training highlighted “not being afraid of having the difficult conversations and learning how to approach the conversation in a non-judgmental way.”

Stilson said offering the training locally reflects the community’s desire to support one another.

“Everybody seems very civic-minded and wants to have a good, healthy, happy community,” she said. “I thought this would be a good opportunity to try to help everyone help one another.”

Just as traditional first aid teaches people how to respond to physical emergencies, Mental Health First Aid gives residents the tools to recognize when someone may be struggling — and the confidence to start a conversation that could make a difference.

Anyone interested in participating in Mental Health First Aid training is encouraged to contact Stilson at jstilson@mtlebanon.org.