NEW ALBANY, Ind. – The Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council, in partnership with the IU Foundation Well House Society, awarded over $11,000 to IU Southeast to support youth mental health first aid training for faculty and staff and the local community.
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach adults who regularly interact with young people how to help an adolescent who is experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge or is in crisis.
The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders and eating disorders.
The IU Southeast Office of Counseling and Psychological Services is hosting several training sessions for members of the community who work with adolescents.
“Our Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings will empower local community service personnel with additional knowledge and skills to assist youth who are developing a mental health condition or currently in a mental health crisis,” said Michael Day, director of Counseling and Psychological Services. “Like traditional first aid does of physical health emergencies, this program seeks to train participants to identify and respond quickly in ways that minimize suffering and saves lives.”
For more information or to sign-up for a training session, contact the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services at (812) 941-2244 or sepersco@ius.edu.
Homepage photo: Michael Day leads Youth Mental Health First Aid training.