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Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps; 12-member jury sworn in for Trump's historic criminal trial; Healthcare decision planning important for CT residents; Debt dilemma poll: Hoosiers wrestle with college costs.

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Civil Rights activists say a court ruling could end the right to protest in three southern states, a federal judge lets January 6th lawsuits proceed against former President Trump and police arrest dozens at a Columbia University Gaza protest.

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Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

Bill Would Create Statewide KY Mental Health First Aid Training Program

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Thursday, December 12, 2019   

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A House Republican from Taylor Mill has pre-filed a bill that would create a statewide Mental Health First Aid Training Program.

State Rep. Kim Moser says the idea is to increase knowledge about the nature of depression and substance abuse disorders, reduce stigma and empower communities to properly help someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

"This is really putting a tool in the hands of everyday people and folks who are working with those individuals who are really most at risk,” she states.

The free training program would be available to all individuals, but is geared toward educators, first responders and law enforcement.

The bill will be considered during the legislative session that starts early next year.

Moser says the program would be run by the state's Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and paid for through a trust fund.

"And the trust fund will specifically fund Mental Health America or a similar evidence-based training program and suicide prevention program,” Moser explains. “The trust is going to be set up so that it can accept funds from state and federal allocations, but also grants and private donations."

Former U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, maintains the legislation will save lives.

"We don't understand mental health as well as we should,” he states. “We don't recognize it sometimes when we see mental health problems.

“We have a particular problem in underserved rural areas. So you don't have very many mental health professionals in those areas, so we need to inform and educate other people, particularly teachers in the schools."

According to the United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings, 24% of Kentucky adults say they have been told they have a form of depression, and the state ranks 49th in the country for the number of residents who report experiencing frequent mental distress.


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