NORWICH, N.Y. (WBNG) — As a way to better handle mental health challenges that so many people in the community face on a day-to-day basis, the 4-County Library System is training staff to be prepared for whatever situation comes through library doors.
On Monday, April 6, the Chenango Health Network was brought in and provided mental health first aid training to the library staff in Whitney Point for the first time. Broome County was the first to see this training, but the three other counties in the library system already have training scheduled.
Mental Health First Aid is a program developed by the National Council for Mental Well Being, and it provides participants with the skills to recognize when someone is facing mental health or substance use challenges.
Tiffany Gager, mental health first aid coordinator and instructor for Chenango Health Network, said this will allow staff to help others and have important conversations about uncomfortable topics.
“What mental health first aid does is it gives us those tools to be person-centered, to be empathetic and caring, and to remove the stigma of having important conversations around uncomfortable topics even with librarians,” Gager said.
The training gives staff the confidence to be someone’s first source of support if experiencing a crisis. The class is a true first aid course and comes with a 3-year certification upon successful completion.
“This training will give the librarians these resources and then language to maybe talk them through their struggle until they can give a warm handoff to someone who can help them in a more intense way,” Gager said.
Chenango Health Network plans to continue this work in other counties and has scheduled trainings for May 11 at the Norwich Library and May 21 at the Sidney Library.
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