mental health first aid

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 teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers.  This training gives teens the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and teaches them how to get help from a responsible and trusted adult. 

 Adolescence is a time of critical change and development, and the time when mental health challenges may first emerge. Those challenges may be the cause for falling grades, problems with close relationships and substance use. Take comfort knowing that your students will be prepared to provide support for their peers as well as better cope with mental health challenges themselves — and get assistance from a trusted adult. 

• 1 in 5  teens in the United States will experience a mental health challenge by the time they are 18 
•  Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among youth ages 15–19
• 64% of teens in the United States who experience mental health challenges don’t seek help 

•  Course content addresses common mental health challenges in young people 
•  Understanding reduces stigma 
•  Teens have an Action Plan to help friends and peers who may be facing a mental health challenge or crisis, such as suicide 
•  Youth learn how and when to involve a parent, guardian or other responsible and trusted adult 

•  In-person – Lessons are conducted in person in six 45-minute sessions or three 90-minute sessions 

• Blended – Teens complete a self-paced online lesson, then participate in six live, Instructor-led sessions. These Instructor-led sessions can be:
  • Video conferences
  • In-person classes