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Mental Health First Aid
for Youth

This course is also available in Spanish.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. To learn more, download the Mental Health First Aid for Youth one-pager.

 

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Why Mental Health Matters for Youth

1 in 5
One in five youth will experience a mental health challenge at some point during their life.
17.1 m
17.1 million youth under the age of 18 have or have had a psychiatric disorder – more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.
7.4%
7.4% of children in the United States have a mental health visit in a given year.

How Youth Mental Health First Aid Can Help

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Informs adults about common mental health concerns among youth.
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Reduces stigma.
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Teaches adults how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use problems in youth.
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Provides adults with skills to use a 5-step action plan to help a youth who may be facing a mental health problem or crisis, such as suicide.

Learn More

To read more about how Mental Health First Aid is helping critical populations,
check out our case studies , or read our blog and filter by population type.

Support Youth Who Have Experienced Trauma

 

Whether you work with children and youth, or you’re a parent or a caring neighbor, you can play a critical role in helping children and youth thrive. After receiving your certification as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, we’ll enroll you — at no charge — in Strong Resilient Youth: Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Trauma. To learn more, download the Strong Resilient Youth marketing flyer.

 

This free training will help you explain what trauma is and how it presents itself in children and youth; recognize when and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other potentially traumatic events affect children’s and youth’s abilities to learn and engage; learn how trauma manifests in communities and why communities of color are disproportionately affected; and practice an effective approach to building stronger relationships with children and youth, helping them to build resiliency and positive coping strategies.

 

While this course is endorsed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Strong Resilient Youth: Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Trauma training does not contribute to Mental Health First Aid Certification or Instructor Certification requirements.

Latest News & Updates

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When it comes to mental health advocacy, there’s a need for tailored support to address the unique challenges faced by specific communities, including Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) youth. One organizational collaborative that is stepping up to this challenge is Team: Changing Minds. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing helped form Team: Changing Minds in 2022, alongside Futures Without Violence, Big Brothers Big […]...

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