Learn About Youth Mental Health First Aid Training on March 13th at Westchester Safer Communities Forum

Westchester County’s Safer Communities Forum will be held on March 13th, 9:00 AM at the Westchester County Center. Youth Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized certification course that teaches the warning signs and risk factors of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents and a five-step action plan to support an adolescent in both non-crisis and crisis situations.
Youth Mental Health First Aid training program is intended for non-mental health professionals and other adults who work with and care for youth, ages 12 to 18, including but not limited to, teachers and school personnel, youth serving agencies, government agencies, coaches, camp counselors, case managers, parents, mentors, and volunteers.

Youth Mental Health Facts

• Approximately 20% of youth ages 13 to 18 (or 1 in 5) either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental disorder.
• 1/2 of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14
• Almost 1/2 of youth ages 8 to 15 with a mental illness received no mental health services in the previous year.
• Despite effective treatment, there are long delays−sometimes decades−between the first appearance of symptoms and when people get help.

Know the Facts. Start the Conversations. End Stigma. Learn How You Can Help. For more information, click here.