MONROE — Winter is a rough time for many people.  Not only are the days short and there is less sun than the summer — people also experience the “holiday let-down.”

For some people, this is because of the visits from loved ones coming to an end. Others may be going through grief and loss of someone important, or the grief and pain of having complicated and difficult family relationships. All of these very human experiences can lead to more individual mental health concerns.

Green County Extension is offering a couple of educational programs that include mental health conversations as part of the learning experience. 

One program is called Mental Health First Aid. This program discusses different mental health diagnoses, substance use disorders, and mental health crises like suicide. It is an excellent overview program for anyone. The program will be held by Zoom from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday Jan. 12.  

Another program, taking place on Jan. 26, is safeTALK. This program will discuss how to talk with adults or youth who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, and keep them safe. The program will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Green County Justice Center.

Reach out to Bridget Mouchon at the Green County Extension office for more information or to sign up for either program. Mouchon can be reached at 608-328-9440 or blmouchon@wisc.edu.  For more information, look under the Health and Wellbeing tab at the Green County Extension website: https://green.extension.wisc.edu/.