Free mental health first aid certification set
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield will sponsor Take Good Care: Mental Health First Aid classes. Sessions are free and participants don’t need to be Arkansas Blue Cross members.
Classes will be offered each month, through September, in Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, Texarkana, Jonesboro, Fayetteville, Rogers and Fort Smith.
Participants seeking certification will complete two hours of online pre-work, followed by a six-hour, in-person class. Lunch will be provided, according to a news release.
Classes will be taught by instructors with the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, providing certification through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Participants will learn how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults ages 18 and older, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions.
To find a schedule of classes and complete the free online registration, visit arkansasbluecross.com/firstaid.
Health literacy effort begins
The Hurricane HYPE Center has launched Project LIVE (Lifesaving Information & Vaccination Education), a health literacy initiative.
Project LIVE is made possible through a grant from the Arkansas Department of Health as a part of a national initiative to address covid-19 health disparities among populations at high risk, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities, according to a news release.
The goal of Project LIVE is to mobilize people in Jefferson County to advance health equity, improve organizational and individual health literacy and address social determinants of health as they relate to covid-19 health disparities through education and outreach to a target population. Details: Project Director Keely Easter, (870) 534-2782.
Area Agency plans menu
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas is serving lunches from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. Lunches available next week include:
Feb. 27 — Sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuit, fruit, juice, and milk.
Feb. 28 — Cheesy chicken and potato casserole, Brussel sprouts, dinner roll, winter hot fruit, and milk.
March 1 — Taco soup, tortilla chips, salsa, lettuce salad, strawberries and bananas, and milk.
March 2 — Smothered pork cutlet, pickled beets, broccoli, roll, cobbler, and milk.
March 3 — Lean hamburger patty on bun, Mexicali corn, lettuce, tomato, onion, baked beans, melon and strawberries, and milk.
Details: Strachota Senior Citizens Center, (870) 543-6323.