Mental Health First Aid is a training program with the goal of training individuals who are not mental health professionals on how to appropriately respond to mental health crises and help those in need. Mental Health First Aid is based upon three steps: Recognize, Action Plan, & Connect. Today we’ll answer questions about the program and how you can get involved with Stephanie Hartman, an Mental Health First Aid program coordinator.
What programs are offered?
Mental Health First Aid programs come in many forms, including the Adult program, Youth program, and Teen program. In this section, we’ll go through each program and the information you’ll need on each program.
Teen Mental Health First Aid:
- This program targets teenagers 15-18 to learn mental health skills to help their peers and themselves.
- 6, 45-minute sessions. These sessions mimic the length of a class period, so the training can occur during the school day to a large group of students.
- You can also have double sessions, like double periods. These are about 90 minutes long.
Youth Mental Health First Aid:
- This program is for adults that work with youth, like teachers.
- This program is 6 ½ hours across 1-2 days.
Adult Mental Health First Aid:
- This program is specialized for adults to help other adults, including EMTs and firefighters.
- This program is 8 hours across 1-2 days.
What do the programs consist of?
Mental Health First Aid programs are modeled to have a similar structure to a CPR or standard First Aid course. The programs are taught with lectures and exercises to learn and practice, as well as having online content within the course. In the programs, individuals learn about self-care, mental health crises, and mental health resources. At the end of the program, you receive a manual and access to Mental Health Connect, an online resource with mental health information.
Why is Mental Health First Aid Important and how do teens use it?
Mental Health First Aid is important because of the prevalence of mental health conditions. Did you know that
- 1 in 4 people lives with a mental health disorder. Most people live with a disorder successfully
- 50% of people exhibit symptoms of a mental health disorder by the time they reach 14
- 75% of people by the time they reach 24
- Less than 50% of people with a mental health disorder are accessing mental health care
- Suicide is the leading cause of death for those between 10-30, and is the only cause of death that is 100% preventable
Teens use mental health first Aid to break down mental health stigma in their communities, help others in need, and speak up about their own struggles.
How can you bring mental health First Aid to your community?
Mental Health First Aid can be spread in a variety of ways.
- Go to mentalhealthfirstaid.org to find local programs
- If you’re in the New Jersey Metropolitan area, check out CBH Care for more information.
- Work with a community organization, school, club, or university to spread awareness.
The mental health crisis is very prevalent in the U.S., especially among teenagers. Getting trained in Mental Health First Aid can save lives and help many in your community. Get trained today at mentalhealthfirstaid.org.