COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Learning to Support Mental Wellness

In 2024, 23.4% of U.S. adults — about 61.5 million people — experienced a mental illness, representing more than one in five adults.* Despite how common mental health challenges are, many people still feel unsure about how to help when someone around them is struggling.

Most of us would know what to do if someone were having a heart attack. Far fewer people know how to respond if a friend or loved one is experiencing a panic attack, showing signs of depression, or struggling with substance use.

For more than a decade, the Community Outreach and Education team at Sertoma Star Services has been helping individuals and organizations develop these essential skills. Through both virtual and in-person trainings, the team provides workshops, speakers, and certification programs.

“Our mission is to increase mental health literacy, reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and foster a culture of wellness in communities and workplaces,” said Jennifer Wojcikowski, Community Outreach and Education Trainer. Certified facilitators deliver internationally recognized trainings like Mental Health First Aid while also offering customized presentations tailored to the needs of each audience.

These programs engage, educate, and empower a wide range of groups, including businesses, schools, healthcare professionals, first responders, veterans groups, faith-based organizations, and other community associations.

Sertoma Star’s training offerings fall into three key content areas:
Workplace Wellness workshops help leaders and teams build supportive, resilient workplace cultures where mental health is recognized and valued.

Community Education trainings provide valuable knowledge for a range of participants. These include Mental Health First Aid certification courses as well as workshops on topics such as anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue, self-care, and mental health awareness.

Crisis Intervention trainings focus on recognizing and responding to urgent mental health situations. Facilitators are certified to teach suicide prevention and intervention programs such as QPR, safeTALK, and ASIST.

Mental health affects every community, workplace, and family. By learning how to recognize warning signs and respond with compassion and confidence, more people can become part of the solution.

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