February 6, 2024 |
Photo – Poster for upcoming classes – Courtesy Carbon County Prevention Network
Carbon County residents are being offered a series of mental health and substance abuse classes.
Every Tuesday, Carbon County Prevention Network, in conjunction with Carbon County Higher Education Center and Memorial Hospital of Carbon County, will host the From Classroom to Community educational series.
The first 2024 Carbon County Conversations meeting is next Tuesday, February 13th. Carbon County Prevention Community Engagement Consultant Tracy Young said the classes act as a way to inform community members about suicide and substance abuse prevention.
Young said the first meeting will serve as an introduction to the WY We Talk website, a webpage dedicated to mental health in the Cowboy State. Young said the meetings are designed to educate residents about the various mental health and substance abuse resources present in Carbon County.
As well as next week’s From Classroom to Community meeting, Young said Carbon County Prevention also offers suicide prevention classes to the public. The community engagement consultant said the 90-minute Question, Persuade, Refer training is a good way to learn how to approach the topic of suicide.
Young recommends everyone take the QPR training. She said the class teaches people how to have a difficult talk about self-harm.
Young said Carbon County Prevention also offers a more in-depth mental health first aid class and a two-day ASIST course. Young said the Applied Suicide Skills Training classes cater more toward professionals who regularly interact with people having a mental health crisis.
Young said she is in the process of developing a tobacco use survey. The community engagement consultant said the survey will show where more tobacco education is needed. Young said the results will be discussed during the next Carbon County Conversations meeting in March, specifically addressing nicotine usage.
April’s Carbon County Conversations meeting is about alcohol awareness. Young said the class will focus on recognizing alcohol abuse.
May is mental health awareness. Young said Carbon County Prevention will hold a community-wide Question, Persuade, Refer class.
Next Tuesday, February 13th is the first Carbon County Conversations meeting of the year. Additional classes will be held on the first Tuesday of each month until June. All meetings will be held in the Carbon County Higher Education Center, located at 1650 Harshman Street in Rawlins. Lunches will be provided.
For more information, call Carbon County Prevention Network at 760-7073 or email Community Engagement Consultant Tracy Young at communityisprevention@gmail.com.
