I completed Mental Health First Aid training last week, and I'd recommend it to anyone. "Just as CPR training helps a layperson with no clinical training assist an individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training helps a layperson assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis, such as contemplating suicide. In both situations, the goal is to help support an individual until appropriate professional help arrives."
http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/cs/
In addition to providing tools to help the people around us when they are in distress, the course educates about mental health problems, normalizes them, and hopes to reduce stigma. The approach is intended to be empowering and encouraged harm reduction.
