In response to our nation’s mental health crisis, University of Missouri Extension will bring a Youth Mental Health First Aid training program to Chillicothe on June 9. This program is for adults that work with children ages 12-18 years of age. Livingston County Extension Director Jessica Trussell says this groundbreaking skills-based course gives people the tools to identify, understand and respond to adolescents who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge.
Trussell says just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Youth Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step Action Plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support. She says those who complete the program receive certification.
This program will be held June 9th at the Livingston County Health Center in a blended format with 2-hours of training accruing online and 4.5 hours of in-person training. The class is offered at no charge through a federal NIFA grant that covers one hundred percent of the cost.
For more information or to register, call the MU Extension office at 660-646-0811 by June 1st.
