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Branch Programs

Fundraising Committee

• Fundraising dinner each February

Public Education Committee

• Public Education Nights

Fun Run during Mental Health Week in May

Monthly Meetings

• 3rd Monday of each month (except July & August) at 7pm

          Eureka Clubhouse, 280 - 4th St., Courtenay.

CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

Mental Illness First Aid (MIFA)

November 8 & 9th

9 a.m. – 5 p.m

Light refreshments provided * Bring your own lunch*

Mental Illness First Aid (MIFA) is a two day course for the general public to learn how to develop the knowledge and skills for first response procedures in order to reduce harm and to save lives in those individuals who are living with an untreated mental illness. We all play an important role & can influence people’s lives.

What are the major components of the course?

Mental Illness First Aid is a two-day course that teaches participants the 3 Rs:

(1) Recognize the signs and symptoms of four major mental illnesses,

(2) Respond appropriately to the individual requiring treatment, and

(3) Refer the person to a variety of agencies and supports in the community.

(1) RECOGNIZE: Participants learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of four major mental Illnesses including: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Participants learn about each mental illness through reviewing basic facts, learning about the signs and symptoms, and watching video clips that highlight the personal impact of each illness.

In addition, participants are taught an ABC approach to dealing with specific first aid situations.

Stimulating discussions about stereotypes and mental illness in the media are also a part of the course.

Participants then apply their new knowledge by working on case studies. Participants are not taught to diagnose mental illnesses, but instead are given the basic knowledge and skills to be able to recognize that something is not right and then respond to the situation effectively.

(2) RESPOND: Participants learn how to appropriately respond to people who appear to be suffering from a major mental illness. They learn effective ways to approach and address the issue, while also learning what doesn’t work. The Mental Illness First Aid course also examines two particular types of mental health crisis situations: (1) concurrent disorders and (2) psychosis. In both of these crisis situations, participants learn about the facts of the problem and appropriate intervention techniques.

(3) REFER: Participants learn about CMHA’s Framework for Support: Community Resource Base and The Helping Continuum. Through an examination of these two frameworks, participants learn about a full range of support agencies and groups from formal to informal. Participants will learn about the local community resources available and how best to access them.

What is the format of the Mental Illness First Aid course?

A variety of effective strategies are utilized to optimize learning and increase retention of the material. The learning strategies include mini-lectures, large and small group discussions, personal stories, case studies, video clips, demonstrations and role-plays, and individual writing.

Anyone with little or some knowledge of mental health issues would benefit from taking this course.

There is a fee for this course:

       $150 per person for not for profit employees, $225 per person for public or business sector employees

       $2,200 for not for profit organizations (10-25 people)

       $2,700 for public sector employees  (10-25 employees)

       $3,200 for profit /business organizations (10-25 employees)

For more information about MIFA, please contact

Courtenay Branch

 (250) 337-8233

Charitable Registration # 88698 9482 RR0001

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the

Comox Valley United Way @ 338-1151

United Way office located at 204-463 Fifth St.

“At the United Way we have a mission … a mission statement,” said United Way president Amie Anderson. “(It) is to improve lives and build community by energizing individuals and mobilizing collective action. I think that speaks for all of us — it’s the action we need.”