Florida Department of Health offering mental health first aid class in August

The Florida Department of Health is offering mental health first aid classes in August in North Fort Myers for anyone interested.

Suicide deaths and overdoses are higher in Lee County than the state average. These classes will teach strategies for recognizing signs of poor mental health and assessing someone for risk of suicide or harm. FDOH says all adults can benefit from the training.

“This class is for anybody, anybody who’s suffering from a mental health disorder, somebody who maybe lives with someone with a mental health disorder or just knows somebody who’s friends with somebody,” said Amanda Evans, a health educator with FDOH-Lee County. “I think we’ve all been in a situation where you’ve met somebody that may be suffering from a mental health disorder, you’re not really sure how to help them.”

The class runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 83 Pondella Road on Aug. 17.