YMCA offers Youth Mental Health First Aid Training

In response to the national mental health crisis, the YMCA of Western North Carolina will offer free Youth Mental Health First Aid training in Asheville starting next month.

This groundbreaking skills-based course equips adults and teens with tools to help them identify, understand, and respond to someone who might be struggling with a mental health or substance abuse challenge. The training also connects participants with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

“As an educator whose love language is teaching, I firmly believe that the Youth Mental Health First Aid training empowers and equips adults to support the mental wellness of young people within our community,” said Maria Suarez, YMCA community teen director and Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor. “Our youth need safe and trusted adults in their lives to thrive.”

According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, one in five Americans has a mental illness, and depression and anxiety have increased dramatically since the pandemic. However, many are reluctant to seek help or don’t know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.

Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aiders learn a five-step Action Plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

“Never has it been more important for our communities to talk about mental health and substance use,” says Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “This program is breaking down barriers and stigma so that together we can learn how to better support one another. Without mental health, there is no health.”

The YMCA of Western North Carolina received a grant to offer this training. This two-day, in-person course is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. These trainings will be offered monthly at AmeriHealth Caritas in Asheville, starting in August.

Click here for more information or to sign up.