The DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board just passed its 50th anniversary since its first meeting.
It's continuing the celebration with public "first aid" mental health trainings. A mix of area counselors, community members and physicians recently gathered at the DeKalb County Community Outreach Building.
Participants learned how to recognize mental illness symptoms like anxiety and depression. They also gain skills to stabilize a critical situation until proper help is available.
Kate Lueken is a licensed social worker who co-facilitates trainings. She said she wants people to feel confident in their abilities to help others.
"'I don’t have to be a doctor or a licensed social worker or a psychologist. I can help. I have those skills now. I can recognize the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack, and I can help them calm down,’” Lueken said.
Longtime mental health activist Caprese Williams came to the training to educate herself even further. She said gaining more knowledge is key to de-stigmatizing mental illness.
"They’ll always want to say that they have anxiety," she said. "It’s important to ask people questions like, ‘Are you okay?’ Not just to be friendly, but to actually know if the person is okay.”
The Mental Health Board said it's planning an event for "World Mental Health Day" in October at the Egyptian Theatre.
