Alberta researcher brings mental health first-aid training to Ottawa's Black community

Globe and Mail

25-05-2025

Noah Boakye-Yiadom first had the idea for a specialized mental health first-aid training program for Black communities while in rural Alberta in 2018.
The Alberta Health Services researcher was leading a session for a Hutterite community when he was struck by the cultural differences his training needed to address. Black communities similarly need specific training for administering mental health care.
Mr. Boakye-Yiadom designed a mental health first-aid program that uses culturally respectful case scenarios rooted in Black experiences. The training course, which comes with a certification from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, is similar to a First Aid/CPR course.
Since 2022, the project has trained more than 400 Black people in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Red Deer and Fredericton.
Now, the one-day program will be held across Ottawa.
The goal is to help community members recognize when a friend or loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and know how to respond.
According to the MHCC, mental health first-aid is immediate support for someone experiencing a mental problem or crisis – just as physical first-aid is offered before medical care. It is provided until professional help is available, or the crisis passes.
'We didn't alter the certification or redesign the entire program,' Mr. Boakye-Yiadom said of his existing mental health first-aid training program. 'Instead, we tailored the examples to reflect the lived realities of Black individuals. To achieve this, we engaged Black therapists, social workers, instructors and psychiatrists to review and contribute to the content.'
There is growing evidence of disproportionately high rates of mental illness among Black Canadians. A 2020 Statistics Canada survey found that 32 per cent of Black respondents reported symptoms of anxiety, compared with 24 per cent of their white counterparts.
The training program – developed in collaboration with Opening Minds, a branch of the MHCC funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario – is designed to preserve life in situations where someone may pose a risk to themselves or others, and to help prevent mental health issues from escalating.
Denise Waligora, a training and delivery specialist for mental health first-aid at Opening Minds, said the course is vital even for those not in the Black community.
'The training gives participants a chance to practice using a conversation guide to approach, assess and assist,' she said. 'We listen without judgment, communicate with care, offer reassurance and information and encourage people to seek support – and we stress the importance of self-care for the first aider, too.'
She said as part of the course, participants work through practical scenarios, such as signs of depression or anxiety, and crisis scenarios such as suicidal thoughts or behaviour, reactions to traumatic events, panic attacks and overdoses.
Ms. Waligora said the training uses relatable scenarios to help participants apply their skills in situations they might realistically encounter or recognize in others.
'The course is about increasing mental health knowledge, recognizing when someone may be in decline, and responding with safe, respectful conversations,' she said. 'Being a mental health first-aider means being prepared to notice the signs and reach out in a meaningful way.'
Sharon Roberts, one of the training co-ordinators in Ottawa, said that if she had received early care during her own mental health crisis, she might have begun treatment much sooner.
'I did not know I had a mental illness. I didn't recognize the signs until I hit rock bottom,' said Ms. Roberts, who now works as a Black peer support worker at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.
She added that having access to mental health first-aid at the time could have made a significant difference. 'It might have at least given me a fighting chance,' she said. 'I think I would have sought help – especially for my children's sake.'
Ms. Roberts shared that she struggled with low-grade depression, known as dysthymia.
'It's so hard to live with,' she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'When it comes to illnesses like diabetes or cancer, people talk openly. But with mental illness, you're pushed aside – people turn away.'
Ms. Roberts said her work is rooted in empathy and connection. 'My job is about meeting people where they're at. Through my experience, I may not understand everything, but I can relate – and that connection allows us to support each other.'