AUGUST
Assisting Educators with Mental Health First Aid Training
Schools have seen a rise in mental healthrelated challenges in their classrooms over the last several years, and the pandemic has caused these challenges to increase even more. Grantfunded training equips teachers to better support their students.
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The Community Foundation, in collaboration with Ball Brothers Foundation, awarded grants to all Delaware County Schools for the cost of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training and stipends for trainees. The training was presented through a partnership between Meridian Health Services and Project Leadership utilizing the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training USA curriculum. This public education program introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help adolescents in crisis. The purpose of this training is not to diagnose mental illness or to provide therapy or counseling. Instead, educators learn how to support youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or emotional crisis; students in need of additional help can then be connected with school counselors and other outside services. More than 175 educators across Delaware County received
