YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST-AID TRAINING Iowa Healthiest State Initiative 1. Why are you passionate about Youth Mental Health First-Aid Training? 2. What inspired you to become involved in advocating for Youth Mental Health First-Aid training? 3. Can you share any personal or professional experiences that highlight the significance of Youth Mental Health First-Aid training? As a concerned Team Facilitator for the sixth grade and a Mathematics educator, I believe it is crucial to address the mental health issues we have been facing to ensure the optimal learning environment for our student learners. Aligned with The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Framework, Social Emotional Learning “(SEL) can promote positive mental health in many ways” (The CASEL Framework, 2024)”. I strongly believe that an educator can teach a social-emotional learning curriculum as a separate course as well as within a given content knowledge on any given day. Collie et al., “SEL not only impacts relationships between teachers and students but also between teachers” (Collie et al ., 2012, p.1190). We have student learners who have mental breakdowns and emotional outbursts frequently in our hallways and classrooms. Our educators could be better equipped to handle this alarming trend if we had Mental Health First Aid for Youth Training and an on-site EAP-Employee Assistance Program in our school building. The emotional well-being of our students and staff personnel is paramount. While we prioritize physical safety with CPI-Crisis Prevention Institute training, I encourage school districts to prioritize mental health. The Youth Mental Health First Aid infographic provides sobering statistics regarding our youth. I sincerely request that the school board’s throughout the nation provide the following: ● Mental Health First Aid for Youth Training for all staff ● Development of an on-site Employee Assistance Program I would also like to invite the school board members to spend time in our school building throughout an entire school day more than one day a week. By experiencing firsthand the challenges we face, I truly believe it will highlight the urgency of this matter and facilitate meaningful discussions towards viable solutions to meet the needs of the whole person. References: Collie, R. J., Shapka, J. D., & Perry, N. E. (2012). School Climate and Social-Emotional Learning: Predicting Teacher Stress, Job Satisfaction, and Teaching Efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1189–1204. https://doi. org/10.1037/a0029356 Please visit MakeItOK.org/Iowa for more information.
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