In our first
blog on Project Aware, we provided an overview of the dynamic
and innovative youth mental health initiative that is
making a difference in the lives of school-aged youth in Georgia. One of the
four goals of Georgia’s Project AWARE is to “train educators,
first responders, parents and youth group leaders to respond to mental health
needs of youth by providing free training in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA).”
In this blog we’ll get to know Youth Mental
Health First Aid.
Youth
Mental Health First Aid is a public education program which “teaches
individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health
challenge.” Through an eight-hour
course, participants learn the risk factors and warning signs of adolescent mental
health issues. Attendees learn how to identify, understand, and provide early
intervention for mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, eating
disorders, and substance use disorders. Those
who take the course develop skills to support youth using a five-step
action plan:
Assess for risk of suicide or harm
Listen nonjudgmentally
Give reassurance and information
Encourage appropriate professional
help
Encourage self-help and other
support strategies
Youth Mental Health First Aid training was first
designed by Mental Health First Aid USA
in collaboration with experts
at the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at the
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development.
Georgia currently has three Project AWARE sites: Griffin-Spalding County School System, Muscogee County School District and Newton County Schools. Through Project AWARE, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) provides training in Youth Mental Health First Aid to teachers and other school staff and work with schools to develop innovative ways to connect youth and families to community-based mental health services. Georgia State University’s Center for Leadership in Disability and the Center for Research on School Safety, School Climate and Classroom Management provide the training and evaluation for Georgia Project AWARE at these three schools systems.
You can learn more about Project AWARE and the Impact of Youth Mental Health First Aid here:
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