[May 01, 2015] |
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Optum Provides Training to Help People Identify Warning Signs of Suicide and Other Mental Health Crises
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Optum is teaming up with
community partners in San Diego to help people recognize the warning
signs of suicide or a mental health crisis, and learn about resources
available to help people in need.
Dona Dmitrovic, MHS of Optum, leads one of several free suicide prevention and mental health training courses being offered by Optum and the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council during Mental Health Awareness Month. The training courses are designed to teach participants about issues surrounding mental health, suicide prevention, detecting common signs and symptoms, and how to respond. In San Diego, one in five adults experience a mental illness in a given year, and one in four young adults ages 18-24 has a diagnosable mental illness (Photo: Jamie Scott Lytle).
Mental health issues are real, common and treatable. In San Diego, one
in five adults experience a mental illness in a given year, and one in
four young adults ages 18-24 has a diagnosable mental illness. The
suicide rate in San Diego County increased over the past five years,
from 12 to 14 per 100,000, which is significantly higher than the
national rate of 12.6 per 100,000. In 2013, 441 San Diego County
residents took their own life.
To help address these important issues, Optum San Diego and the San
Diego County Suicide Prevention Council are sponsoring six training
courses in May to teach San Diegans about issues surrounding mental
health, suicide prevention, detecting common signs and symptoms, and how
to respond.
"It's critical that we learn to talk about mental health," said Michael
Bailey, M.D., medical director of Optum San Diego. "These training
courses andpublic service announcements will serve as a springboard to
increase awareness about these important issues and the resources
available to help."
Optum is producing public service announcements for radio and social
media to raise awareness about these important issues. The messages are
available in English and Spanish to encourage all San Diegans to take
advantage of local support resources, including the San Diego County
Access and Crisis Line at 888-724-7240. Operated by Optum, this free,
24/7 resource serves as a suicide prevention/intervention hotline. It
also provides mental health crisis intervention, information and
referral to mental health services in San Diego County in more than 150
languages.
The six training sessions include three one-hour Question, Persuade,
Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention courses on simple steps that people can
learn to help save a life from suicide.
Three versions of the eight-hour Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course,
designed to teach participants how to recognize the most common signs of
mental illness and substance use disorders, and the steps they can take
to help someone get professional support, are also available. A youth
MHFA course will be offered Friday, May 1 to educate parents, families,
caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, and health and
human services workers how to help an adolescent (ages 12-18) who may be
experiencing a mental health, addictions challenge or is in crisis. The
original MHFA course will be offered in Spanish Thursday, May 28;
another version developed specifically for veterans, service members,
their families, and people who work them will be available Friday, May
29.
"Mental health disorders are real medical conditions, and are as equally
important to address as physical ailments," said Alfredo Aguirre, MSW,
director of Behavioral Health for the County of San Diego Health and
Human Services Agency. "It's up to us to help recognize the signs and
offer support and treatment for people who are suffering."
To sign up for one of the free training sessions, or to learn more about
resources available locally, including the 24-hour Access & Crisis Line
at (888) 724-7240, visit www.optumhealthsandiego.com.
About Optum San Diego
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services
business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for
everyone. Since 1997, Optum San Diego has worked in close partnership
with San Diego County to administer behavioral health services and help
ensure that Medicaid members have access to the care they need.
About the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council
The San Diego Suicide Prevention Council is a community-wide
collaborative focused on realizing a vision of zero suicides in San
Diego County. Its mission is to prevent suicide and its devastating
consequences in San Diego County.
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