The teenage years are challenging for both those going through them and the adults trying to get the teens through them. It’s a time when young people begin to assert their independence more and during which the may challenge authority figures around them more. 01/20/2015 Link to Source
Youth and Teen
Mental health symptoms can appear at any age,” MHP Behavioral Health Director Jan LeBahn, LISW, said. “Youth Mental Health First Aid training will help participants learn how to help youth ages 12-21 years. Teachers, first responders and other medical professionals, faith leaders and the general public will learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms … Read more
Do you work with teenagers? Are you a parent of a child between the ages of 12 and 18? Do you worry that something is wrong in a child’s life but have no idea what to do to help them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there’s a program available to adults … Read more
Only 20 percent of children with mental health issues are actually identified and receive mental health services each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Minnesota 01/15/2015 Link to Source
This week in Helena a group of nearly 30 people has gathered to learn how to spot signs of mental health issues in Montana youth and in turn teach others to do the same. 01/12/2015 Link to Source
“Speak Your Mind Texas,” a community conversation addressing mental health and substance use issues in teens and young adults drew 51 people to the Plainview ISD Education Complex Board Room on Tuesday. Small group discussions alternated with large group discussions summarizing conclusions that the groups had come to. 01/08/2015 Link to Source
The number of suicides in America is growing, particularly in the West, but the issue rarely garners attention from most policymakers. 12/31/2014 Link to Source
Students in Milwaukee Public Schools will receive greater academic, behavioral and mental health supports thanks to the district’s successful efforts to help bring in $9.1 million in competitive grants, the district announced this month. Link to Source
Deming High School students participated in a student focus group as part of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s Think.Change initiative that is working to reduce the mental health stigma in the borderland. 11/17/2014 Link to Source
Bullitt County Public Schools is receiving $99,970 for training six staff members as Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructors. 11/13/2014 Link to Source
West Virginia schools will receive nearly $10 million in federal grants to increase awareness of mental health among children and “curb gun violence,” the state Department of Education announced Wednesday. The Mountain State is among 120 school districts or entire states across the nation to receive the Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE) grant … Read more
The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will receive a grant for $9.7 million to curb gun violence by connecting families, schools and communities to mental health services. West Virginia was one of 120 states and local school districts to receive the Now is the Time Project AWARE grant for mental health first aid training. The grant … Read more
Foxborough Regional Charter School has been awarded $99,948 to increase mental health literacy, improve school climate, prevent school violence and increase access to mental health services in the community. The school will use the funds to train eight instructors and 310 community members in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Link to Source
The Montana Office of Public Instruction announced on Monday that it has received three grants totaling more than $12.5 million to improve school climate and school safety and support the mental and emotional health of Montana students. Link to Source
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenage boys. Link to Source
Today, U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement that, as part of its Mental Health & Substance Abuse Service Grant Program, it will be awarding the Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port School District (known as the Laker Schools) a grant totaling $100,000. Link to Source
As teachers headed back to school in Newtown this year they are better equipped to respond to specific students in need after participating in the first phase of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training sponsored by the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, Inc. Link to Source
The Brandywine Health Foundation will launch a four-year pilot program this week to help school district employees learn to identify mental health issues in students through a nationally used course. As part of a nationwide effort to improve mental health responses and reduce stigma, teachers, and staff in the Coatesville Area School District will take … Read more
Teachers know that if one of their kids gets a cut or a scrape, to reach for the bandages. But what if a kid has a panic attack; can’t pay attention in class; or even seems depressed? Link to Source
“The first time I tried to kill myself, I was 11,” Casey McAndrew told the audience during the Stepping up for our Communities event at Arapahoe Community College on May 14. Today McAndrew is a member of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Youth Board, advocating for teens like her who are battling depression and other forms … Read more
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is joining with Governor Rick Snyder and local Mental Health First Aid trainers to celebrate Michigan Mental Health First Aid week May 18-26, to raise awareness about the trainings available to residents to help identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. Across Michgian, several nationally certified … Read more
Fairfax County is offering courses teaching the basics identifying mental health warning signs and helping those who suffer from mental illnesses, useful skills that might save lives. Fairfax County is hoping to make you a first responder. The county is offering courses that allow anyone to receive national certification in mental health first aid. Link to Source
Parents are accustomed to dealing with cuts, broken bones and the physical wounds of childhood. But there is little preparation for what to do when your child is feeling alone, experiencing depression, or even considering taking his own life. Link to Source
Beth Wilkinson became her dying father’s main caregiver at age 16, so she had to grow up fast. “I was working, paying bills, going to school and taking care of my dad,” said the Plainfield resident, who is now 23. “I ended up dropping out of high school four months before I was supposed to … Read more
Before giving their children their own cellphones, access to the Internet and video games, parents should develop a media plan, set time limits for use and establish rules their children will be expected to follow or risk losing the privilege.
That was one of the recommendations made by Dr. Paul Weigle, Natchaug Hospital psychiatrist and expert on video game and Internet addiction, during a forum Thursday titled “iSafety: Protecting Kids in the Digital Age.”
Using Crayola markers set on each round table, small groups of adults from the Greeley area — school outreach workers, Boys and Girls Club staff and foster parents — created poster-sized pictures of what mental health problems look like. Glum stick figures sat under rain clouds, a face contorted from happy to sad and a … Read more
Educators and juvenile probation officers recently spent a day learning about mental health to better assist young people. For the first time in Cleburne, a Youth Mental Health First Aid training course was held for educators Thursday at Pecan Valley Center for Behavioral and Developmental Healthcare thanks to a grant provided to the center. Link … Read more
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, along with the Department of Community Mental Health and Westchester Jewish Community Services, launched “Youth Mental Health First Aid,” a new Safer Communities initiative, last week. At a press conference at the County Center announcing the new program, Astorino said: “Youth Mental Health First Aid trains adults on how to … Read more
A report from Mental Health First Aid USA ranks Missouri second-highest among the states with residents trained in Mental Health First Aid. The training is designed to teach people how to recognize, understand and respond to signs of mental health. Similar to standard first aid, the knowledge and training can save lives. Mental health issues … Read more
Howard County Executive Kenneth Ulman, who is running for lieutenant governor in the upcoming state election, delivered his final state of the county address on Thursday. In wake of the shooting that claimed three lives at the Mall in Columbia in January, Ulman’s speech had significant focus on public safety and mental illness. Link to … Read more
Cherokee Nation Behavioral Health trained the students on mental health first aid last summer, and each “preventer” is now a certified mental health first-aid responder. Link to Source
One out of four of us has a mental illness,” said Barry Groesch, who works at Linden Oaks Hospital at Edward and coordinates the Naperville facility’s Mental Health First Aid training sessions. In the three years since the program was launched, 3,608 people have completed the eight-hour training in 184 classes taught by 51 instructors … Read more
Kevin Hines, author, advocate and representative of Mental Health First Aid for youth, will talk at Fresno State about his suicide attempt and surviving a jump off the Golden Gate in San Francisco. The free, public event, sponsored by University Health and Psychological Services, will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Mar. 12 in the Satellite Student Union. Link … Read more
Understanding mental health and what to look for if someone you know may suffer from it was the goal Saturday in Tifton. Mental Health First Aid Trainings educated the community with tools on how to spot mental illnesses. Link to Source
As many as 70,000 Kansas children under age 18 have emotional/behavioral problems, and many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. The symptoms of mental illness can be difficult to detect — even when friends and family of someone who appears to be developing a mental illness can … Read more
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Department of Health and Human Services recognized the first group of instructors to graduate the state’s new Youth Mental Health First Aid program. As an instructor, these individuals are able to go out in the community and teach people how to recognize, but not treat, symptoms that youth suffering from a mental … Read more
Mental health first aid discourages gun violence, as it helps lay people identify mental illness in those persons that might exhibit potential stress issues. The front line of this new treatment is instructing teachers on the warning signs of mental stress and mental illness in their students. Link to Source
When the omnibus spending bill was signed into law by the president, most of the attention was – quite understandably – on the big-ticket items: defense, border security, health care and the like. But included in that budget was a $15 million gem that is an important positive step for those of us working to … Read more
As a result of the Fiscal Year 2014 “Consolidated Appropriations Act” (P.L. 113-76), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will provide expanded help to meet the mental health needs of individuals, families and communities across the nation. The $276 million additional funding above the FY13 post-sequestration level will enable SAMHSA to better … Read more
Mental illness is an illness that requires immediate treatment once a person is diagnosed. This diagnosis might happen earlier because mental illness now has its own first aid program. An eight-hour training session called Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to identify a mental health issue and how people can help. The Mental Health … Read more
As part of an ongoing effort to help improve public understanding of mental health issues in Connecticut, the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network and The Department of Psychiatry at The Hospital of Central Connecticut are sponsoring a free public event Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at The Hospital of Central Connecticut. The event, titled “Raising … Read more
Still reeling from the shock of a school shooting in Connecticut that killed 20 first-graders and six educators, the nation started 2013 with a renewed debate on gun control. But because many politicians in Washington and around the country didn’t want to talk about guns, they quickly shifted the discussion to another problem that factored … Read more
Treating the first signs of a mental health crisis could eventually become as common as administering CPR. Transitions of Western Illinois has trained about 90 people a year since 2010 through the Mental Health First Aid program. Tragic shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary and most recently Arapahoe High School have … Read more
Building on momentum generated by the Newtown shootings, advocates for mental health services hope to make strides next year on multiple fronts, including strengthening services in schools and improving coverage and access for privately insured patients. Read More…
Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and the National Council share a similar goal: improve the emotional health of youth. When mental health and celebrities are talked about together, more often than not, advocates can only cringe at the resulting conversation. It’s unusual for a celebrity to take up the cause unprovoked – and it’s … Read more
