Mental Health First Aid for Adults

Mental Health First Aid for Adults is an eight-hour course that gives people the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it does build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of a mental health crisis.

Trainees are taught how to apply the five-step action plan in a variety of situations such as helping someone through a panic attack, engaging with someone who may be suicidal, or assisting an individual who has overdosed. An important component of the mental health first aid course is the opportunity to practice the intervention strategy rather than to just learn about it. This simple experience can make it easier to actually apply the knowledge in a real-life situation.

Bradley Conference is designed to provide education for psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurses, certified counselors, speech/language and occupational therapists, teachers, milieu associates, and other professionals who work with children, adolescents or adults.  Topics address different behavioral health populations and treatment modalities and are intended to provide practical, state-of-the-art information.

Bradley Hospital’s clinical expertise, internationally renowned research, and academic affiliation with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University make the hospital a unique resource in all areas of behavioral health care.  We have designed a wide range of learning experiences to provide the training that behavioral health care professionals need to stay at the forefront of their fields.

Speakers

Susan Curria, MS, CMHC, has worked at Bradley Hospital for over 20 years in various roles which  include behavioral health specialist, supervisor, hospital trainer, and counselor. She has worked in previous organizations and has been in the teaching and behavioral health field for over 30 years. 

Curria holds a master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling and a master of science degree in human development/psychology with a concentration in education along a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS). She is a certified Yoga Instructor for both adults and children with a specialty in trauma- sensitive yoga. She also holds the rank of black belt in several martial arts styles including Tae Kwon Do, Yammani Ru, Bo, and Sai. Curria identifies as a counselor/ educator and combines the aspects of client education, traditional clinical treatment, and the alternatives of body-based practices to improve the quality of lives with individuals with whom she works.    

Mary Cloos, MEd is an ambitious educator, trainer and skilled manager with expertise leading transformative learning opportunities that are engaging, empowering and have a positive effect on the learner. Currently, Cloos shares her skills and passion with Bradley Hospital as a behavioral education development specialist; her primary role is as a certified Instructor for the evidence-based Mental Health First Aid program and is trained in the Adult, Youth, and Teen curriculum. Cloos is also active in utilizing her specialized skills in experiential education. She creates and facilitates adventure-based experiences that emphasize building a strong sense of belonging and community.   

Cloos' vast years of experience includes working with youth, families, adults and staff teams from diverse environments including behavioral healthcare, school-based and community organizations.  Decades of her working years have been dedicated to management with Children’s Services at Gateway Healthcare. Concurrently, while she managed Gateway’s residential programs, she created and developed an outlet to provide experiential learning and therapeutic adventure experiences for adolescents with a wide range of common childhood psychiatric conditions.  

Cloos earned a master of education from Rhode Island College that incorporated course work in counseling, psychology, and outdoor education. As a long-established volunteer with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Cloos shares her love for the outdoors by instructing leadership trainings designed to teach youth workers skills needed to lead youth on outdoor adventures. Taking care of her Mom, who is in her 100th year, has enriched her life enormously. 

Details

• Target audience:  Individuals who interact with children, adolescents, adults.
• Instructional level: Beginner.
• To request reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Rhode Island Hospital CME office at 401-444-4260.  

Registration

• Program fee: No cost, grant-funded.
• Online registration closes on Sunday, October 3.
• For refund/cancellation information please email [email protected] or call Elizabeth DeFreitas at 401-606-5753.

Register online