Wilderness

Mental Health First Aid

An immersive course for nature-based leaders

How can we thrive in a world that increasingly demands resilience?

In this highly engaging and immersive experience, participants will come to understand the various unsettled states of nervous system activation that children and adults alike can experience in and out of the field. They will walk away with a toolkit of techniques for prevention and stabilization that are appropriate to each respective state of activation.

Emotional and behavioral instability is surging in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that between 13% and 20% of American children and adolescents aged 3 through 17 have a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. The National Institute of Health indicates that childhood anxiety disorders are very common, affecting 1:8 children and they often interfere with social, emotional, and academic development.

For some children, particularly those unfamiliar with the outdoors, nature can activate these states. For others, they may experience an inability to cope due to an injury in the field, a pre-existing mental health challenge, or even the day-to-day rigors of growing up in our complex world. For caregivers, they may experience activation when facing an illness or injury or supporting students in their own regulation.

Teachers are often the first to recognize symptoms and unless they have received specialized training, they are left feeling unprepared, without the tools they need to support the child and the group as a whole. Moreover, teachers report lack of success with techniques said to be “tried and true”. We postulate that applying the 5Rs often used in medication administration will help the teacher to select the most effective approach: Right person, Right intervention, Right time, Right dose, Right route. All interventions taught will be subject to this evaluation in the context of realistic scenarios.

For a child who becomes dysregulated in the field, there is increased risk of injury and exposure which can be compounded by the degree of remoteness unique to nature programming. Furthermore, studies have shown that, if 1 member of a group becomes dysregulated, others are more likely to experience nervous system activation. This, in turn, escalates the group dynamic beyond that which any one person can be expected to manage. Prevention is the best intervention, early response being second best. Both require skillful identification of signs and application of best practices.

We believe, even and especially those not trained as Mental Health Professionals, should have access to this knowledge and these techniques. We believe that teachers, in particular, are uniquely suited to identify, respond, and support children experiencing dysregulation. Additionally, teachers can learn to regulate themselves in these times of stress and uncertainty. Their own effective regulation, along with the rapport and proximity already established, stands to have a profound impact both on the child’s immediate and long-term ability to cope in the world.

Why Take Wilderness Mental Health First Aid?

You will learn to prevent and effectively respond to dysregulation in yourself and others. This will bring more peace to your days and more resilience to your and your students' lives.

Participants will:

Learn and practice preventative tools that can be taught to children to pre-empt states of activation beyond which children and adults alike can reasonably cope.
Apply these same tools to promote the teacher’s ability to self-regulate and therefore co-regulate.
Identify the hallmark signs and symptoms of each state of activation.
Discover how rhythmic activities can be used in outdoor programming to soothe, organize, and regulate the nervous system.
Role play states of activation and test run various coping strategies with other participants all the while evaluating the 5Rs of each strategy.
Build a toolkit of coping strategies and ways of interacting with people in each respective state to most effectively help them stabilize.

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Nicole Roma Thurrell
CEO, Director of Education

Recipient of the Massachusetts Award for Excellence in Science Education, Nicole is a passionate educator who loves turning people on to strategies for caring more skillfully for their fellow human beings.

She has degrees in Psychology and Recreation Therapy from the University of North Carolina and has been a Wilderness EMT since 2001.

Nicole has decades of experience working in many aspects of wilderness therapy, including expedition leader, health director, and director of admissions.

Whether it was leading adventures on the water, on land, or in the air, Nicole has done it all. She has been an adventure racer, a raft guide, high ropes facilitator, a clinician for kids with Autism, a Waldorf high school teacher, and a mom.

"It's not therapy but it is therapeutic.

It's not a curriculum but it will impact every aspect of your curriculum."

-Stacey P.

"This was the most engaging and beneficial first aid class I've ever taken.

Nicole did an excellent job of making the class hands-on and allowing us to use critical thinking and problem-solving, something missing from most first-aid classes. She also treated every student in the class with respect and truly set up an atmosphere where we were free to ask questions without judgment."

—Angelina C.

"I feel confident and ready to respond to an emergency if needed.

Wild Med's virtual course was so dynamic and the way information was presented was so interesting I felt like I was there in person! I gained so much knowledge and confidence through this course. Thank you!"

—Kati P.

"This class will benefit everyone!

With a nursing background I was skeptical how much I would learn in this class. I was blown away with videos, they kept my attention, taught me new things, the instructor Nicole does a fabulous job teaching others to critically think in unfavorable circumstances, and her real life experiences are great to hear."

—Brooke B.

"Wild Med is fantastic!

I've taken a WFA class and a refresher. Both times the instruction was far better than any class I've taken before. The instructors are engaging, set ENGAGING scenarios to practice your skills, answer every question to the fullest, and are altogether the best ever. Everyone should choose Wild Med."

—Liam B.

"I have participated in many CPR/First Aid trainings...

...yet the Wild Med course was seriously the first to leave me feeling confident in providing patient care! The teachers are enthusiastic, fun, and knowledgeable! I was never bored, and I think that is saying a lot when it comes to an online training."

—Rachel H.

"The Wild Med 21-Day Challenge was fantastic!

The short videos presented each day are both interesting and comprehensive, and break down the information in such a way that the content really sticks with you. I love that the videos will remain accessible to me even after the course ends. The live skills sessions were equally well-done, and, on top of that, Wild Med customer service is top notch. (Oh, and their First Aid Kits are incredible!)"

—Diann V.

"I feel well trained and prepared to help those in need.

This training was above and beyond my expectations. As a nature educator and Forestry Therapy Guide in training I recommend this course for anyone that spends time outdoors. Thank you!"

—Molly S.

"I will not take a CPR course with anyone else now.

I am always so pleased with WildMed! The instructions are clear, the process is smooth and the material is easy to absorb and is delivered in a - dare I say - FUN way!"

—Rebecca B.

"The instructor was very knowledgeable, professional, and related topics to real life scenarios based on our jobs.

Our organization loved our course. Absolutely would recommend!"

—Kathleen M.

"They were able to keep the group engaged, informed, and entertained throughout the 6-hour course.

We hired WildMed for a CPR and Safety training course for our field crews. Nicole and Adrienne are SO knowledgeable. There was a lot of hands-on training, and they understand the importance of keeping people moving around and involved. I appreciated a glimpse into their own experiences as they're highly skilled EMTs who have seen a lot. The group always felt comfortable asking questions. Hire them!"

—Chris D.

"Absolutely the BEST CPR course I've ever taken!

After 25+ years of being CPR certified, the renewal courses have become pretty boring and ho-hum. Not this renewal course - it was engaging, informative and empowering. I feel more prepared for an emergency than I ever have before. Thank you so much!"

—Mary S.

"This is hands down the highest quality CPR course I have taken.

Nicole's delivery is excellent. She is enthusiastic, professional and responsive. She went the extra mile to accommodate our needs. And I didn't expect it to be so much fun! I highly recommend this course!"

—Sabrina V.

"I was shocked at how effective online learning could be for this material.

I have taken many CPR/First Aid classes over the years and this was the best! Thanks to the skill of the trainers and their clear depth of knowledge of the material, I feel like I learned and am retaining the information better than I ever had. The recorded modules and the live sessions were all excellent, and I'm really grateful for this information."

—Heather D.