La Crosse police offer mental health first aid training
By Steve Rundio
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LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (La Crosse Tribune) — La Crosse Police Department personnel have learned a lot about dealing with mental illness.
Wednesday presented an opportunity for them to share that expertise.
Captain Avrie Schott and Lt. Cory Brandl led a “Mental Health First Aid” training session for 28 CouleeCap employees at Myrick Park Center. They are among four police department employees who are certified MFHA trainers. The police department has partnered with Better Together in La Crosse County to offer training sessions since 2018.
Schott said the approach to mental health has changed considerably since she first joined law enforcement 22 years ago.
“We used to arrive at the scene, put somebody in a squad car and drive them to the hospital,” Schott said. “Now we can recognize the signs of illness and connect people with resources in the community.”
Schott said the sessions train participants to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, what resources exist in the community and how to assist someone in a mental health crisis.
The training covers mental health issues including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, substance abuse and eating disorders. It also covers how to administer first aid when one of these issues triggers a crisis.
Schott said it’s important for employees of an organization such as CouleeCap to understand the fundamentals of mental health. CouleeCap assists people in western Wisconsin in need of economic assistance and works with clients to help them achieve self-sufficiency. She said it’s not unusual for CouleeCap employees to visit their clients inside their homes.
“We’re training them to recognize people in crisis,” she said.
Brandl said there are multiple resources available. Participants were given a handout that lists 46 organizations in the La Crosse area that provide some kind of mental health service.
He said any organization that works closely with the public can benefit from MFHA training.
“We in law enforcement have to evolve with any topic to be able to better serve the community,” he said. “We recognize in any situation there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed so that we can fix the situation.”
Brandl said the training sessions give participants a clearer view of people dealing with a mental health issue.
“One in five community members has a mental health concern,” Brandl said. “The training is designed to educate and reduce the stigma of mental illness.”
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