Awareness surrounding mental health and ways to assist a person in need reach a global stage in late January and early February, with social media campaigns, and the mid-winter blues.

Over the past three years, the Saskatoon Health Region has been offering a chance for those looking to help, by hosting mental health first aid workshops.

The workshops are conducted by James and Angellah Brayshaw, who run Saskatoon Mental Health Training and Support Teams. 

"(Mental health first aid) was created in Australia and in 2007, Alberta used it for 800 educators and the federal government said 'hey, this needs to be part of our mental health strategy'," explained James, of the recent history.

"We need to reduce stigma, reduce social distancing, and just improve the mental health literacy of Canadians, so those of us with mental health conditions - either in a crisis or developing - have readily available help."

Brayshaw says that the workshops are a perfect opportunity for them to help expand on something they are passionate about.

"When we saw an opportunity to present a sanctioned course by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, we said sign us up," he said. "We love speaking with people about mental health and we love encouraging them to be that confident, supportive person that everyone wants to be to someone that has a mental health need."

The Saskatoon Health Region has received funding for the workshops and hosted one in Rosthern in December and more recently held one in Wadena last month.

A workshop will be in Humboldt at Jubilee Hall beginning on Thursday.

Brayshaw says that often time, there are people who are looking to assist others, but aren't exactly sure how to go about it.

"What we found is that people, before they come to the session, they don't have that confidence to say someone may be experiencing a mental health condition, and they just don't have the depth of knowledge and confidence to interact meaningfully until they get to experience that in class in the case studies."

He noted that after attending the workshop and gaining insight into mental health and the confidence to reach out, they have had success stories.

"We have had discussions with people who have intervened when somebody may have suicidal ideation," he noted."One specific case comes to mind, not regarding suicidal ideation, but in a mine where there was an individual experiencing a panic attack when they were 800 metres underground."

"A person who had taken the workshop, they recalled how we did crisis first aid for a panic attack and they walked an individual with it successfully and were brought up without major incident."

Some items the workshop discussion surrounds, includes: mood disorders, signs, symptoms, and effects on people and educates first-aid actions for mood problems and suicide.

More information about the upcoming workshop in Humboldt can be found here.

You can hear more from Brayshaw below.