Youth Mental Health First Aid is a mouthful, even the acronym “YMHFA is a lot to say. However, the title is in keeping with the scope of the issue, the response, and the training that bears the name. Behavioral health issues have come to the foreground in recent years, as we begin to look seriously at the root causes of some of our most difficult, expensive, and intractable issues in schools, the workplace, criminal justice, and quality of life.
YMHFA is an essential part of a remarkably simple strategy; provide staff who are in constant interaction with young people the tools to identify and appropriately respond to mental health emergencies.
This training does not seek to create an army of therapists, nor to prevent consequences for unwanted behavior. It seeks to provide the necessary and nuanced safety and stabilization tools for adults who may encounter a young person in distress. It seeks to prevent an escalation of behaviors and reduce unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice system by implementing trauma-informed interventions in the moment of need. This change in approach often permanently alters outcomes for our most at-risk young people.
The Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) has made a strong commitment to equity and the mental health needs of students, and YMHFA is a crucial tool in that work. Our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and otherwise marginalized students are much less likely to receive quality mental health care, and much more likely to be subjected to criminal justice involvement for any infraction. Combining these two realities leaves our students who may be experiencing mental health crises extremely vulnerable.
YMHFA training is a one-day, six-hour commitment with a focus on:
- Assessing for risk of suicide or harm
- Listening non-judgmentally
- Giving reassurance and information
- Encouraging appropriate professional help
- Encouraging self-help and other support strategies
Participants will learn the common risk factors and warning signs of specific types of mental health problems, such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, substance use, reaction to a traumatic event, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. The YMHFA course provides robust first-aid style tools to equip anyone working with youth, including teachers, administrative and district staff, coaches, janitorial staff, librarians, kitchen staff, transportation providers, paraeducators, and volunteers.
Due to Covid-19 conditions, the National Council for Behavioral Health has adapted this curriculum to be presented virtually, ensuring thousands of caring individuals can continue to be trained to provide the necessary support to young people who may be experiencing mental health challenges.
The NWESD’s Behavior Health and Prevention Services (BHPS) department has provided YMHFA training for many years. Several of our SAP and Threat Assessment staff have delivered this instruction to hundreds, from the district and school staff, social service providers, and faith community staff to parents and leaders in the community.
To increase these efforts, BHPS has co-written a cooperative SAMHSA federal grant with the Community Health Outreach Program (CHOP), through United General to expand training and outreach opportunities. You will find YMHFA training courses listed through the NWESD’s event catalog, pdEnroller. Click Mental Health First Aid to learn more about the YMHFA curriculum.
For more information on YMHFA please contact Chris Jury
