Since 2017, we have offered free annual training in Youth Mental Health First Aid to adults in our community. Youth Mental Health First Aid consists of 2-hours of self-paced content followed by 4.5 hours of instructor-led training via Zoom. This training is for participants over the age of 18 and will be led by Monroe School District’s Behavioral Health Specialist, Jennifer Swan, LMHC, CMHS.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention public education program. It teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to a youth who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, and how to refer a person to appropriate professional support and services. 

Mental Health First Aid was created in Australia in 2000 by Betty Kitchener, an educator and mental health consumer, and Professor Tony Jorm, a mental health researcher. In 2008, the National Council, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health brought Mental Health First Aid to the United States.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the purpose of Youth Mental Health First Aid and the role of the Youth Mental Health First Aider.

• Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges that may impact youth.

• Explain the impact of traumatic experiences and the role of resilience on adolescent development.

• Apply the appropriate steps of the YMHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to non-crisis situations.

• Apply the appropriate steps of the YMHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to crisis situations.

• Choose appropriate methods for self-care following the application of Youth Mental Health First Aid in a crisis or non-crisis situation.

Registration

For YMHFA certification, please select ONE full training day to attend:

Tuesday 6/6/2023 8:00 AM PST Youth Mental Health First Aid Online Course

Wednesday 6/7/2023 8:00 AM PST Youth Mental Health First Aid Online Course

Thursday 6/8/2023 8:00 AM PST Youth Mental Health First Aid Online Course

After registering on EventBrite, your instructor, Jennifer Swan, will email you with enrollment for Youth Mental Health First Aid which will include your Zoom Link and training materials for the Live online event.

You will be asked to complete self-paced material prior to your training day to familiarize yourself with Youth Mental Health First Aid.

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Swan, LMHC, CMHS
Behavioral Health Specialist for Monroe School District
swanj@monroe.wednet.edu
(360-913-3915