As we continue to deeply invest in the relationships our college health educators build with high school freshmen in classrooms, volunteers have identified a need to broaden their ability to support these students through navigating mental health crises.
In April, Peer Health Exchange’s UIC college chapter partnered with AMITA Health and Americorps to provide our volunteers with a two-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. The MHFA training is a public education program which introduces participants to unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in individuals, builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help in a crisis or with someone experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.
Ultimately, we hope to continue to partner with organizations like AMITA and Americorps to better prepare our volunteers to advocate for healthy dialogue around mental health in young people and respond to possible warning signs they might encounter in the classroom.