Mental Health Awareness & Wellness
Identifying and Responding to Youth Mental Health Needs (IRY)
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Mental health includes mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being.
According to the CDC, anxiety problems, behavior problems, ADHD and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. Many family, community, and healthcare factors are related to children’s mental health. Community awareness about mental illness is important to reduce stigma.
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Our goal is to increase mental health wellness by increasing the capacity of First Aiders to identify and appropriately respond to youth (ages 12-18) who may be experiencing mental health challenges and/or emotional disturbances.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Identify. Understand. Respond.
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people.
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 (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.
New Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Number
Beginning 7/16, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. For more information, visit https://988ga.org/ or SAMHSA.gov download quick fact sheets in English or Spanish. To help promote 988, access the partner toolkit here.
Raising Resilience Community Toolkit | Strong4Life
Use these talking points when discussing the Raising Resilience campaign with key stakeholders and members of the media. About Strong4Life. Backed by clinical, safety and behavioral health experts here at Children’s, Strong4Life is on a mission to help parents and caregivers raise healthy, safe, resilient kids.
Click on the following link
To help youth cope with the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, with support from the CDC, developed a series of tools for children, teens, and parents that teach healthy ways to deal with stressful situations. Watch to learn more.
Access the tool at https://www.nap.edu/wellbeing-tools
