R7 Youth Mental Health First Aid

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Services and Region 7 Healthcare Coalition will be conducting a Youth Mental Health First Aid course on March 29, 2017 from 8 am - 5 pm at the Gaylord University Center. The primary focus of this course is to provide understanding and recognition of the prevalence of various mental health disorders impacting youth, the need for reduced stigma in the community, and how to plan, identify, protect, and treat using resources and skills gained from the course.

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YMHFA Flyer/Registration
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Target Audience:​
Varies Widely

• social workers
• primary and long-term care professionals
• law enforcement and
• first responders
• school personnel and educators
• employers
• parents
• guardians
• consumers
• faith communities
• mental health advocacy organizations
• state policymakers
• general public

Mental Health First Aid for Youth is an 8-hour, interactive certification course providing an overview of mental health and substance use conditions as well as their risk factors, warning signs, impact, and common treatments for young people. 

Participants will receive a MHFA manual which is a blueprint for providing comfort, promoting recovery, and helping to reduce distress related to stressful situations, trauma, and crisis. Mental Health First Aid teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to young people with the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or who are in a crisis, and connects them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self-help care.  

Mental Health First aid is an evidence-based public program that is effective in improving the trainee’s knowledge of mental disorders and reducing stigma.  Mental Health first Aid was introduced in the United States in 2008, and to date close to 500,000 people from all walks of life have been trained and are using the program’s tools and resources every day.
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​National certified trainers, Cynthia Petersen and Joanie Blamer both have extensive backgrounds in mental health and have been teaching the Youth Mental Health First Aid for over four years.

• Participants will understand the prevalence of various mental health disorders impacting youth and the need for reduced stigma in the community.
• Participants will recognize the warning signs of mental health problems that may impact youth, primarily those aged 12-18.
• Participants will understand the risk and protective factors that can impact a youth’s mental health and resiliency.
• Participants will learn to apply 5-step action plan using skills, resources knowledge to assess, implement intervention and help youth connect with evidence based treatment and supports.
• Participants will be able to identify and access the community resources available to support youth and their families.