BILL REQ. #: H-4345.1
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2008 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/15/08. Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.
AN ACT Relating to mental health first aid; adding a new section to chapter 71.24 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that a lack of
information about mental health problems amongst the general public
leads to stigmatizing attitudes and prevents people from seeking help
early and seeking the best sort of help. It also prevents people from
providing support to family members, friends, and colleagues because
they might not know what to do. This lack of knowledge about mental
health problems limits the initial accessibility of evidence-based
treatments and leads to a lack of support for people with a mental
disorder from family, friends, and other members of the community.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW
to read as follows:
The department shall make available a mental health first aid
course that trains members of the public in how to give initial help in
mental health crisis situations and to support people developing mental
health problems. The mental health first aid course will provide
information about depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, and
substance use disorder. Following completion of the mental health
first aid course, participants will know how to recognize the symptoms
of these mental disorders; the possible causes or risk factors for
these disorders; the evidence-based medical, psychological, and
alternative treatments available; how to give appropriate initial help
and support to a person suffering one of these disorders; and how to
take appropriate action if a crisis situation arises involving suicidal
behavior, panic attack, stress reaction to trauma, or threatening
psychotic behavior. The mental health first aid course shall include
twelve hours of instruction and shall be based on the program created
by the department of psychiatry, University of Melbourne in Australia.