Youth Mental Health First Aid - April 2025 Newsletter
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On February 20th, Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) certified instructors and NJYSA staff members, Ellie McCreesh (Associate Program Manager) and Julia Wieczorek (Community Impact Manager) facilitated a virtual YMHFA training for local YMCA staff and nutrition Educators at SNAP-Ed implementing agencies.
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach community members how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. 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.
NJYSA has an upcoming virtual Adult Mental Health First Training scheduled for May 6th. If you are interested in registering for this training, learning about upcoming trainings, or want to request a Youth or Adult Mental Health First Aid Training, contact Ellie McCreesh at emccreesh@njyalliance.org.