By The POST

Community Helpers Program

Dec 5, 2019 | 2:24 PM

In every community, there are people to whom others naturally turn when they need help. These “community helpers” can be anyone associated with youth including friends, team-mates, coaches, neighbors, teachers, clergy, and everyone in between. The Community Helpers Program identifies these helpers and offers free training to strengthen their natural abilities. The program is available for individuals ages 12 to 30 years old, or people who work with that age group. The training covers a variety of relevant, and sometimes difficult, topics for individuals in the community to learn about to help them develop new skills and have a greater understanding of ways to be a support person. The training is designed as a nine-module course that is to be completed in order with the following topics:

1. Getting to Know Each Other & Who’s a Community Helper
2. Ethics of Helping, Labelling & Trust and Teamwork
3. Earache/Psych-ache: Mental Health Common Language
4. The Helping Skill
5. The Self-helping Skill
6. Limits and Strategies
7. Dealing with Crisis Situations & Helping Resources
8. Suicide and Depression: Part 1 & 2
9. Suicide and Depression: Part 3

Along with the nine core modules, Community Helpers also covers topics such as substance abuse, sex, STD’s and pregnancy, relationship and social issues, enabling, handling stress, dealing with violence and/or abuse and conflict resolution. The program educates participants on the local resources they have, so when a young person does come to them for support, they know what services they can access to help them with their concerns. The flexibility of the program allows agencies and groups to book the modules however it suits them best. It can be offered as a one-day workshop, one module a week, one a month, or any schedule that best accommodates participants. Furthermore, Community Helpers is often presented in schools, during Health classes, where students want to learn about life skills that will better equip them for adulthood, as well as be a better friend today. Social agencies and youth centers have also utilized the program, providing training to not only the youth attending the program, but all the staff as well. Sports teams, including players and coaching staff, could also gain great value from taking the program, as they’re are able to support the team with way more than just their athletic abilities. Once the modules are completed, participants are granted a certificate that can be used on resumes, college applications, or additional training for employees.

Despite what some may think, most individuals struggling with a mental health concern, addiction or conflict in life typically do not go to a service provider, such as counselor or therapist, first. More often than not, people seek support from caring individuals, regardless of their background. In regard to youth, many young people will seek support from each other, or from trusted adults in the community, like a teacher or coach. Community Helpers is accessible and teachable to anyone who is looking for more skills and knowledge on how to be a better helper. The more individuals trained in Community Helpers, the more supported the youth in our community are. Although individuals need to complete the nine core modules in order to become a certified Community Helper, any of the modules can be offered individually as a single presentation.

Community Helpers is also about creating partnerships with like-minded people and services who share the same vision of a healthier, more supportive community for youth and young adults. As Community Helpers is free, it allows these partners an opportunity to utilize funding that may have been set aside for guest speakers and training. In instances where funding is required, Community Helpers is able to co-apply for grants with other services to provide new and exciting opportunities for youth to experience, such as adventure retreats and added activities to existing youth evenings and programs.

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Overall, everyone can benefit from learning about different ways we can support the young people of today, so they can have successful and happy futures. The adaptable program makes it easy for any organization to utilize this free training, as well as make it feasible to accomplish for any busy schedule. If you’re interested in learning more about Community Helpers, or want to book training, please contact Canadian Mental Health Association at (403) 504- 1811.