The Boone County Schools announced that the Boone County Board of Education has been awarded a three-year Project AWARE-Community grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the training of a diverse group of adults in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA).
This training will help adults detect and respond to mental illness in youth in Boone County. YMHFA is a public education program that introduces participants to the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems and builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention. Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support
“When a loved one has a physical illness like cancer, families rally around to cook, clean, drive their loved ones to doctor’s appointments, and much more, but when someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental conditions, family members are not sure what to do,” said Kathy Reutman, Executive Director of Student Services, Boone County Schools.
“By implementing this program, the mental health literacy of adults in our community who interact with youth will increase. Adolescents are particularly dependent on adults for recognition of mental health problems, provision of adequate support and referral to help. Developing the appropriate social support system throughout the community with the Youth Mental Health First Aid can reduce the risk of developing mental, emotional and behavior disorders. YMHFA skills can be applied anytime, anywhere, and to anyone in distress. This is a great opportunity for all community resources to work together to create a strong future for our youth. ”
By implementing YMHFA, the Boone County Schools expects to see an increase in the mental health literacy of adults who interact with youth and increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth.
The Boone County Schools will partner with a wide variety of community agencies, businesses and youth serving groups, to provide two types of training to help our community: YMHFA instructor certification and YMHFA “First Aider” training. It is anticipated that during a three year period 400 individuals will be trained bolstering our community’s ability to respond to the mental health needs of our youth.
The overall goal of Project AWARE Community is to expand Boone County’s capacity to increase awareness of mental health issues and connect youth with behavioral, mental health or substance use issues to needed services. The program’s objectives include increasing the mental health literacy of adults, increasing the capacity of adults to respond to behavioral health issues impacting youth, and conducting outreach and engagement strategies to increase awareness of and promote positive behavioral health.
For more information on Boone County: AWARE, contact Kathleen Reutman, Executive Director of Student Services at Boone County Schools, 859.334.3792 Kathy.reutman@boone.kyschools.us.
From Boone County Schools