Working With Youth
Approximately 1 in 3 young New Zealanders will experience a mental health challenge. This means that at some stage everyone will have close contact with a young person experiencing a mental health challenge.
The Youth Mental Health First Aid® course equips adults who teach, care for and support young people, with the skills and confidence needed to recognise and respond to a young person experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.
Developed for adults to support young people aged 12-18, Youth Mental Health First Aid® training teaches participants how to provide initial support to a young person who may be experiencing a mental health problem, or mental health crisis, until professional help is received or the crisis resolves, using a practical, evidence-based Action Plan.
Why attend a Youth Mental Health First Aid® course?
Evaluations consistently show that by attending a course, participants improve their knowledge of mental illnesses, their treatments and appropriate mental health first aid strategies.
Course participants also report improved confidence in providing mental health first aid to individuals and by improving mental health literacy, much of the stigma surrounding mental health problems is reduced. A Youth Mental Health First Aid® course also looks at how to apply Mental Health First Aid® in a range of crisis situations, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, aggressive behaviours, and severe psychotic states.
Using the Mental Health First Aid® Action Plan, participants learn how to approach a young person that they are concerned about and how to initiate a conversation about those concerns. Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage a young person to get professional help or other support. Course participants learn about the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in adolescents; how to recognise and respond to an emerging and worsening mental health problem and the interventions and supports available.
Anyone can have a conversation that may save a life. Everyone should know how.
Who should know Mental Health First Aid®?