Health & Wellness Services are increasing mental health and suicide prevention training options with an additional facilitator and online training.

With just one facilitator, Mental Health First Aid classes are always full, and people are often wait-listed, according to a news release. The second facilitator will allow them to train more people in how to recognize a mental health crisis and how to help someone experiencing one.

Participants in this and other courses learn techniques such as active listening, communication and relationship building, said Paula Adams, associate director of health promotion.

“These skills translate to life experiences beyond a mental health crisis as well,” Adams said.

The Mental Health First Aid course, a one-day class Health & Wellness offers, aims to teach participants about the symptoms of mental health disorders, how to respond to an emergency situation and how to support those with mental health disorders, according to the Health & Wellness website.

Health & Wellness Services are also making Campus Connect available online. Last fall saw the debut of this program, a two-hour suicide prevention course from Health & Wellness that teaches students and staff the signs of someone who might be considering suicide and how to deal with it.

It also serves as a review course for the students and staff who have previously taken the training course. The Campus Connect course will be required for all resident advisers, new and returning, according to the news release.

Health & Wellness staff will discuss with the resident advisers how information from Campus Connect has helped them, how they have struggled to implement their training, and how to improve the program.

“We consistently receive positive feedback from participants in both the Mental Health First Aid Course and the Campus Connect,” Adams said.

Other organizations that use Campus Connect include Veterans Affairs, the Gender Identity Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center (GIESORC), International Students and WSU Police, according to a news release.

“Having the proper mental health training on campus is vital,” GIESORC Director Matthew Jeffries said. “Statistics have shown that people in the LGBT [community] are at a higher risk of mental health concern, so it’s important for us to be aware and up to date so we can help our students.”

Health & Wellness Services are also working with WSU Global Campus to create web-based seminars on subjects related to mental health, such as mindfulness and self-care, according to the news release.