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Youth Mental Health First Aid Course

May 19 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This is an 8-hour education program that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. Youth Mental Health First Aid uses group activity, role-playing, and simulations to demonstrate:

-How to assess a mental health crisis
-How to select interventions and provide initial help
-How to connect young people to professional, peer, and social support, as well as self-help care.

The course covers:
-Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and substance use challenges in this age group.
-How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis.
-How to connect the youth with help.
-Expanded content on trauma, substance use, self-care, and the impact of social media and bullying.

This course is offered in a two-part format and both components must be completed to earn your certification:
-2.5 hours of self-paced online pre-work, which must be completed by Tuesday, May 12, 2026
-Live, virtual course on Zoom from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Tuesday, May 19, 2026

What will participants learn?
Participants learn the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, AD/HD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder.

Participants learn to support a youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness, or who are in an emotional crisis by applying a core five-step action plan. The Youth Mental Health First Aid USA curriculum is primarily focused on information participants can use to help adolescents and transition-aged youth, ages 8-18. Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling.

Who should take this course? This course is designed for any adults who regularly interact with adolescents. This course will primarily be folks who work in summer camps, programs, and OST, but all are welcome to join.

This course is being offered by ACA, New England FREE of charge thanks to a SAMHSA grant. The course is limited to 15 participants.

Who created this course?
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing was instrumental in bringing Mental Health First Aid to the United States. Mental Health First Aid USA worked with experts at the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development to develop the youth program.

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Achieve

How do you achieve tasks or goals?

The Achieve skills are Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Perseverance.

These skills help young people process information, assess situations and potential outcomes, and connect actions to future goals. When young people Achieve, they engage in disciplined thinking that is rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence; consider consequences and alternatives; and evaluate information to reach a conclusion. They demonstrate imagination and originality, and stay focused on their goals despite obstacles or distractions.

The Achieve skills are most closely associated with academic outcomes, including college and career readiness. Critical thinking is one of the most crucial competencies for job preparedness (American Management Association, 2012; Kress et al., 2005). Creativity is important for classroom engagement, which in turn can impact academic achievement (Boxx et al., 2013), and is also a crucial skill for the workforce (Hadani & Jaeger, 2015). Perseverance is associated with academic success, including higher educational attainment and higher course grades (Farrington et al., 2012; Duckworth et al., 2007; Vandell et al., 2007).

Achieve

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Critical Thinking

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Critical thinking is conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion. Critical thinking involves disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence.

Research shows that critical thinking is linked to college and career readiness. Young people with strong critical thinking skills analyze relationships between ideas, consider perspectives other than their own, explore multiple solutions to problems, and use evidence to support their conclusions.

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Achieve

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Creativity

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Creativity is exhibiting originality, imagination, inventiveness, or ingenuity.

Research shows that creativity is important for classroom engagement, academic achievement, and workforce preparedness. Young people with strong creativity skills will generate multiple solutions to a problem, show originality, ask questions, and demonstrate curiosity.

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Achieve

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Perseverance

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Perseverance is focusing on a long-term goal despite challenges, consistently performing required or important tasks and demonstrating initiative in spite of obstacles or distractions.

Research shows that perseverance is important for academic success, including educational attainment and school grades. Young people with strong perseverance skills will set goals, persist in completing a task even when challenges arise, connect a current task to future goals, and try again when they fail at doing something.

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Connect

How do you connect to others?

The Connect skills are Social Awareness & Relationships, Communication, and Teamwork.

These skills help young people make contributions to their community, and develop healthy, supportive relationships with peers and adults, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. When young people Connect, they work constructively and cooperatively with others, empathizing with and taking the perspective of peers, advocating for their views respectfully, understanding social and ethical norms for behavior, and sharing ideas clearly and compellingly.

Not only are Connect skills useful for a young person’s ability to interact with others, but these skills have also been shown to influence academic success and engagement in the classroom (Pierce et al., 2010; Caprara et al., 2000; Furrer & Skinner 2003). Teamwork and communication are considered two of the most important skills by employers (American Management Association, 2012). Relationship-building is an important aspect of achievement in school for all ages (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Arbreton et al., 2009).

Connect

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Social Awareness & Relationships

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Social awareness and relationships involves empathizing with and taking the perspective of others; understanding social and ethical norms for behavior; and cultivating positive, supportive connections with friends, classmates, and adults.

Research shows that social awareness and relationships are important for academic achievement and engagement in the classroom at all age levels. Young people with strong social awareness and relationship skills will show respect and consideration for their peers, form friendships with peers, share interests and ideas with adults, and demonstrate disagreement or ask questions in a respectful manner.

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Connect

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Communication

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Communication is making clear and compelling oral presentations, sharing ideas, clarifying information as needed, and adapting communication styles to meet audience needs.

Communication is important for interacting with others and conveying one’s thoughts and feelings, but communication skills are also important for career preparedness. Young people with strong communication skills will share ideas or information with others effectively, ask and answer questions, listen actively, and be able to summarize key points.

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Connect

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Teamwork

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Teamwork is the ability to work constructively and cooperatively with others.

Research shows that teamwork is linked to improved academic achievement and improved self-efficacy. Young people with strong teamwork skills compromise during disagreements, listen to different points of view, and know how to give and receive feedback.

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Thrive

How do you help yourself thrive?

The Thrive skills are Growth Mindset, Efficacy, and Self-Regulation.

These skills help young people recognize and manage their emotions, anticipate the impact of their behaviors on others, and take ownership over their actions. When young people Thrive, they believe that their abilities can grow with effort; have confidence in their ability to accomplish an outcome or goal; and are able to manage their emotions, thoughts and behaviors as appropriate to different situations. This first requires an awareness of self – the recognition of their emotions, thoughts, motivations, strengths and weaknesses.

Research demonstrates that the Thrive skills can impact a variety of behavioral outcomes, including health, safety, and good habits (Roeser et al,. 2002; de Riddler et al., 2012; Moffitt et al., 2011; Galla & Duckworth, 2015). Growth mindset has been shown to improve achievement test scores in mathematics (Dweck, 2006; OECD, 2015). Self-efficacy influences school grades and classroom engagement (Bandura et al., 1996). Self-regulation influences academic achievement, including test scores and grades (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005).

Thrive

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Growth Mindset

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Having a growth mindset is believing that talent and intelligence can be developed and improved through continued learning, practice, and effort.

Research shows that a growth mindset is associated with academic success. Young people with a growth mindset will understand that mastery comes through effort, embrace feedback and constructive criticism, and seek to learn from their experiences.

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Thrive

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Self Efficacy

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Self-efficacy involves believing in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task; is often task or situation dependent.

Research shows that self-efficacy influences school grades and classroom engagement. Young people with high self-efficacy will show confidence in their own abilities, know they are in control of their own behavior, and be open to risks and challenges.

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Thrive

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Self Regulation

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Self-regulation is managing one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.

Research shows that self-regulation influences academic achievement, including test scores and grades. Young people with strong self-regulation skills will reflect, plan, and think ahead; consider the impact and consequences of their behaviors; gain control or adjust their behavior as necessary; manage stress and delay gratification; and work well independently, focusing on tasks.

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