Mental Health First Aid for Everyone - Practical Do's and Don'ts for Real Life

Learn simple, proven ways to respond to mental health challenges in everyday life - at home, school, work, or community events. Licensed clinician Avi Landa shares practical do's and don'ts for ADHD, Asperger's, anxiety, and depression, plus a clear walkthrough of the ALGEE framework and how to use tactical empathy to calm and de-escalate. Here is a survey, if you can please fill it out when you are done, these surveys allow us to continue to provide free training so it means a lot to us if you fill it out, it would take less than 2 minutes. SURVEY LINK: https://forms.gle/8xr1iZNAng9Nt5qj9 What you will learn ADHD vs Asperger's - the real difference and why it matters Do's and don'ts for classroom, home, and crisis scenarios Anxiety basics - when reassurance helps and when it backfires Depression red flags - what to ask and how to support safely Tactical empathy - validation without agreeing, lowering the temperature ALGEE quick guide - Approach, Listen, Give support, Encourage help, Encourage supports Chapters 00:00 Intro and who this is for 01:19 Speaker intro - Avi Landa, LMHC - Director of Education, Prevention, and Awareness at Amudim 03:05 Training goals and structure 04:18 ADHD explained - impulsivity and filtering 10:52 Asperger's basics - knowledge gaps vs access gaps 16:30 Practical interventions - classroom, home, emergency response 20:05 Anxiety - normal response vs disorder, breathing and tension-release 26:40 When reassurance fuels anxiety and OCD 30:18 Depression - differentiating introversion, spotting risk, safety checks 35:10 ALGEE framework - the national mental health first aid checklist 38:12 Tactical empathy - validate without agreeing 40:20 Wrap up and next steps About the speaker Avi Landa is a licensed mental health professional and Director of Education, Prevention, and Awareness at Amudim. He also serves as a counselor at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. Resources Mental Health First Aid - search your local course Amudim - education and support services: [add link] Crisis resources - If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. In the US, dial or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Key takeaways Give time and reduce stimuli for ADHD - it helps the brain's filter catch up With Asperger's, coach through the social understanding step by step Use calm breathing and tension-release for anxiety - avoid endless proving and reassurance loops For depression, look for function loss, not just mood - ask about plans, means, and timing if suicide risk is suspected Validation does not equal agreement - empathy lowers defenses and de-escalates Call to action If this helped, like, subscribe, share with someone who works with teens, schools, or community groups. Comment a scenario you want us to cover next.