Too often, individuals facing mental health issues feel shame and are reluctant to seek help, fearing stigmatization. Mary Lou “Lou” Mastro has spent much of her career working to change that dynamic.
Mastro, CEO of Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial Healthcare, a part of Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare in suburban Chicago, introduced a program that trains people in the community to identify those who may be in need of behavioral-health services, directing them to appropriate professional help.
She launched Mental Health First Aid, a program founded in Australia in 2001, while serving as CEO of Linden Oaks at Edward, a 108-bed behavioral health hospital on Edward Hospital's campus in Naperville, Ill. Through the program, trainers use an approach called ALGEE (Assess risk of suicide or harm; listen non-judgmentally; give reassurance and information; encourage people to get appropriate professional help; and encourage self-help strategies). Those receiving MHFA training also learn about common mental illnesses such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, psychoses such as dementia and schizophrenia and anxiety disorders.