Mental health first aid classes come to Kodiak this month

Kodiak’s regional tribal health organization is hosting two mental health first aid classes this month. The courses are organized by the Kodiak Area Native Association, and are part of a nationwide program. It’s also the first time the class has been open – and free – to the public in Kodiak.

Even before the pandemic, accessing mental health services was a challenge on Kodiak Island. That’s according to Kodiak’s two most recent Community Health Needs Assessments published by Providence Medical Center in 2016 and 2019. Twenty percent of survey respondents said they had needed mental health services in the last year – but over a third of them weren’t able to access care. Barriers to treatment included cost, not being able to get an appointment and stigma. And local health clinics said they had been having trouble recruiting and retaining psychiatrists.  

“The number one need the community identified was behavioral health services, which includes mental health services,” said Molly Miller, a prevention specialist for KANA.

She’s also teaching the class alongside staff from the Kodiak Women’s Resource and Crisis Center. She said the pandemic has highlighted the lack of mental health resources in rural communities – and it’s also gotten people talking more about the issue. 

“The focus of the program is one, to decrease stigma around mental health, so to make people more comfortable with having conversations about mental health,” said Miller. “And the second part is to give people tools on how to listen and how to assist those who are in need or may be experiencing a mental health challenge.”

KANA offered youth mental health first aid classes last year, but this is the first time coursework will be aimed at adults. Classes are free, and encompass 8 hours of in-person instruction, with a couple hours of online work ahead of time. Participants receive a certificate as a Mental Health First Aider once they finish the class. That doesn’t mean they’re qualified to make a diagnosis, but it can be helpful to spot someone in crisis – or someone that just needs to feel heard. 

Other organizations – like Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium in Anchorage – have also offered mental health first aid programs for youth and adults. Miller says there’s a growing statewide interest in the classes – especially given how accessible they can be virtually. 

Miller said that teams of local mental health first aiders in Kodiak won’t replace the need for more clinicians and services on the island, but they might help bridge the gap.

KANA’s mental health first aid class on Thurs., February 17 at the KANA Wellness Center is already full, but there are still spaces for available in Tues., February 22’s class in the Koniag Conference Room.