Mental Health Matters Wingham will hold free mental health first aid training for the community on May 4 and 5.
What normally costs $200-$300 can be offered for free, thanks to community donations.
Shannon Mercer, founder of the organization, said the training is similar to physical first aid, giving you the skills needed to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis before they go for professional help.
"There are so many people who do struggle and often they struggle in silence," said Mercer. "Taking this course not only opens the minds of people who are experiencing a mental health crisis but also opens the mind and gives skills to people who know others who might be struggling."
She said knowing how to intervene in that situation helps keep the community safer while encouraging those who are struggling to reach out because people will listen and know how to help.
"As a group, we really try to educate the public about mental health and we try to offer information in the form of training sessions," she said. "We don't want anyone to feel like they are hitting a roadblock when it comes to accessing the information that's valuable for supporting themselves and others."
Mercer recognizes that the topic can be heavy at times, but assured the trainer will alleviate that.
"Just come ready to learn and know our trainer, Jackie Ralph from CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) Grey Bruce is spunky and fun and a really wonderful person to allow people to open up, but also learn this information in a digestible and interesting way to make us feel confident going forward."
The training will take place May 4 and 5 at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you're interested in registering, you can email mentalhealthmatterswingham@gmail.com or contact the group via direct message on Facebook or Instagram.