Written by: Nicole Batway, BS, CHES, YMHFA Instructor for Public Health Educator at Kent County Health Department

Mental health.

It seems to be a hot topic these days, or maybe I just hear about it more than others because part of my job is working in mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

Thinking back to some of my personal experiences with mental health…

I think of how great I felt when I would go for a run.

I think of family dinners where we joked with one another and shared about our day.

I think of my parents talking about some of my relatives saying, “their family is very focused on feelings.”

I think of my dad who had spot baldness due to work related stress.

I even think of my life as a high school student unable to talk to people because I was “shy.”

We all have experiences with mental health, both good and bad. As an adult, I find it easier to put words to my feelings and rationalize my emotions. As an adult, I also find it challenging to truly remember the day in and day out feelings of what it was like to be a child.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) can’t help you recollect all your childhood feelings, but it can help you support a young person with their emotions.

We know that 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. The earlier we can get someone connected to care, the greater the chance they have at being well.

This interactive course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents. Guided by a five-step action plan, participants learn to support a young person developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis.

I made it through high school just fine. However, if an adult in my life was aware of the signs and symptoms of anxiety and noticed them in me, high school might have been a much more enjoyable experience. If I had learned how to cope with my anxiety at a younger age, my true goofy self would have been present at a much earlier age.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, 8-hour training. Participants do not learn to diagnose mental illness nor how to provide any therapy or counseling (we’ll leave that to the professionals!), but they will learn information and skills, and gain confidence to assist young people.

Previous participants have stated:

“This was an amazing course! I feel not expertise level but comfortable enough now to analyze a student’s mental health risk and feel comfortable on who to refer them to as well.”

“This will help me to reflect on where kids are coming from – the challenges they may face.
Things are not always what they seem on the outside.”

“Gave us the tools and insight into how to deal with various situations.”

How Can You Help Your Students

KISD has recently sold out two upcoming YMHFA trainings. These training’s are free of charge and provide eight hours of SCECH or SWCEC credits.  We just opened up a session on May 22nd, and it could fill up fast.

Click here to reserve your seat on May 22nd. For more information on the course send me an email at nicole.batway@kentcountymi.gov

#MentalHealth #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd