The Gathering Place provides mental health education to interested individuals and groups. The public is reached with a bimonthly newsletter and various public appearances to local service organizations, university groups, and radio audiences. Mental health education increases awareness in the community regarding needs and problems facing individuals, while reducing the stigma sometimes associated with mental health or substance use disorders.
Our volunteer internship program is an active example of community education, The Gathering Place has partnerships with many Ohio University departments such as Music Therapy, Social Work, Psychology, and Child Family Studies and hosts their students as volunteer interns every semester. Students gain learning outcomes and experience for their programs by working with our members and staff.
The Gathering Place also offers other training for members and others in the community on mental health education, such as:
Whole Health Action Management (WHAM)
A peer-led intervention for people with chronic health and behavioral health conditions, which activates self-management to create and sustain positive health behaviors.
- Identify strengths and supports in 10 science-based whole health and resiliency factors
- Write a concise who health goal based on person-driven planning
- Create and log a weekly action plan
- Participate in peer support to create new health behavior
- Engage in cognitive skills to avoid negative thinking
- Prepare for basic whole health screenings
- Use shared-decision making skills and tools for engaging with doctors
Mental Health First Aid
An evidence-based program adopted by over thirty countries, is a rigorous training that teaches caring adults how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. In a hands-on training, participants learn to respond to an individual in need utilizing the five-step ALGEE action plan, which includes: Assessing for risk of suicide or harm, Listening nonjudgmentally, Giving reassurance and information, Encouraging appropriate professional help, and Encouraging self-help and other support strategies.
