Mental health issues have surged during this pandemic. Though our youth are resilient, the risk of not taking their struggles seriously can be devastating. Learn to recognize the early signs of risky behavior and the best strategies to encourage a healthy recovery.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based public education and prevention tool. This course improves the public’s knowledge of mental health and substance use problems and connects people with care for their mental health or substance use problems.
Similar to traditional First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid provides immediate help to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis until professional treatment is available or the crisis resolves. Mental Health First Aid will give you confidence and tools to recognize anyone in your life who might be struggling and help them recover.
Why become a Youth Mental Health First Aid responder?
Now more than ever, it is imperative that we be here for each other. When it comes to mental health, coping strategies and resiliencies tend to be developed through a trial-and-error process. However, our youth have been thrown into the deep end with the isolating nature of the pandemic. Mental health issues have surged in the shadows as we learn to navigate around the simple things we used to do to stay happy. There are no more get-togethers with friends. There are no more hang-outs after school. There are no lunchrooms or recesses. Our youth live with themselves now more than ever and it's our role to ensure they love themselves.
Recovery from mental health issues is possible. Early intervention and support has been shown time and time again to be extremely effective when averting crisis and encouraging healthy mental habits.
Whether you’re a parent, a youth development professional, or a concerned citizen, this course will help you help others.
Course Information
$25 per participant
This course requires two hours of online self-paced prework. It also requires 4.5 hours of Zoom meetings. For your convenience, we are spreading the course out over two virtual blocks: 6-8pm December 9 and 6-8:30pm December 16. Youth Mental Health First Aid certification is valid for three years.
Email YMCA Director Lincoln McLain at lmclain@ymcapkc.org for information or to register.