According to Kim Sellers, WCESC supervisor for the Coordinated Care Department and grant manager, Ohio will develop an infrastructure to raise awareness of mental health needs among school-aged children and increase statewide and local capacity “to develop, implement and sustain the delivery of integrated, comprehensive, evidence-based mental health and behavioral health services for youth and families.”
Project AWARE’s goals are to obtain measurable behavioral and academic change for school-aged youth and to better equip adults to understand and respond appropriately when faced with students experiencing mental health concerns.
“The grant is for a period of five years with the main objective of training school staff and adults who work with youth. This can be teachers, bus drivers, counselors, administrators, cooks, custodians, parents, coaches,” she explained.
The WCESC is offering eight-hour training sessions with Youth Mental Health First Aid, which teaches how to identify the signs of mental illnesses and addictions, provide initial help and connect individuals in crisis with appropriate care.
“Youth Mental Health First Aid has been evaluated and proven to reduce the stigma associated with mental health disorders,” Sellers said. “This program can reduce the damaging effects of mental health disorders, such as school drop outs, relationship issues, drug and alcohol issues and suicidal ideation. Not only will it help with reducing stigma but will also assist those working with youth to develop a comfort level and a protocol in terms of how to approach these issues.”
Since the beginning of the year, nearly 100 staff members from Kings and Waynesville schools and the Mary Haven Youth Center have been trained.
“The mental health training allowed myself and other colleagues to recognize risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges in adolescents,” said Lorraine Hartke, intervention specialist at Kings High School. “In addition, it engaged colleagues in our district in a conversation that we typically cannot have due to the lack of time. The mental health training provided additional tools to support teachers, so that we can support students at risk for such challenges.”
Additional training sessions, which are free and open to all Warren County schools and community members, are scheduled for May 13, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 3, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a two-part training on April 22 and 29, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (participants must attend both). All will be held at the Warren County ESC, 1879 Deerfield Road in Lebanon.
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