International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers releases new online courses

The International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers released two free online video courses to help lay Catholics recognize signs of mental illness and support those seeking help. Members of the association presented a trailer for the resources on Oct. 10 at the Vatican News headquarters during an international meeting in Rome titled "A Healing Presence: The Church’s Call to Mental Health Ministry."

The first resource is a video course on mental health literacy lasting over one hour. It teaches participants to identify symptoms of common conditions, including depression, addiction, bipolar disorder, and trauma. The second resource is a two-hour course on psychological first aid. Deacon Ed Shoener, the founder and president of the association, said this course functions similarly to physical first aid by helping people approach and assist those who are hurting.