Rep. Tarr’s Newsletter: Mental & Physical Health

Rep. Geran Tarr

In your life, you are more likely to see a person having a panic attack than you are to see someone having a heart attack. Though many of us know how to properly respond to a heart attack, few of us know what to do when confronted with someone having mental or emotional crises. A community based model called Mental Health First Aid is being used across the nation and world to teach people how to address a person in crisis by training a person a five step process for response. Mental Health First Aid does not replace emergency care; instead it is intended to be used by a first responder before medical care arrives.

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NEWS: Rep. Tarr Introduces Mental Health First Aid Legislation

Rep. Geran Tarr

JUNEAU – Today, Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) proposed legislation (HB355) to authorize the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services to administer a Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program and accompanying grants. Youth Mental Health First Aid training teaches trainees to detect mental illnesses and substance abuse issues and how to respond effectively to them.

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