The statistics are staggering. One in five teens has had a serious mental health disorder at some point in their young lives. Fifty percent of all mental illnesses begin by age 14. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15-24year-olds.
WJCS is proud to offer training in Teen Mental Health First Aid, a nationally certified course which teaches high school students how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among their friends and peers. It gives students the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and get a responsible and trusted adult to help, when necessary.
Teen Mental Health First Aid trainings are designed to be delivered in schools or community sites in three interactive classroom sessions of 90 minutes each or six sessions of 45 minutes each. Schools and organizations that offer the training are required to train at least 10 percent of adult staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid and to train the entire grade level. A critical step in the teen Mental Health First Aid action plan is connecting with a trusted adult. Youth Mental Health First Aid trains adults to be prepared to help young people facing a crisis.
The training is designed for high school students in grades 10, 11, and 12. High schools as well as organizations that partner with a high school or youth-serving agency are eligible to teach Teen Mental Health First Aid to students.
For more information, please contact Caitlin Leon at (914) 761-0600 ext. 2370, or [email protected]
