To increase mental health literacy in our communities, The Collaborative and Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT) will bring Youth Mental Health First Aid training to Bennington County and beyond. This skills-based course gives people the tools to identify, understand, and respond to young people who might be struggling with a mental health challenge — and connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.
The workshop consists of completing 1-2 hours of programmatic pre-work online in October, followed by attending two virtual workshops held on Sunday, November 3rd and November 10th from 4:30-7 pm. The training is free, and all participants must pre-register.
This free training is open to anyone interested in gaining these skills and certification. Consider registering if you are a teacher, business owner, mentor, bus driver, community volunteer, or any other caring adult invested in the mental health of youth in our community. This training is generously grant-funded by Vermont Care Partners and produced by Sunshine Silver Lining in partnership with The Collaborative and ACT. Through these grants, participants receive the three year certification at no cost.
For more information and to register contact Jacob Dombroski at The Collaborative at jacob@thecollaborative.us or 802-824-4200, or visit: https://bit.ly/3X4j6HN.
Just as CPR helps even those without clinical training assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to support a young person experiencing a mental health crisis.
This need is just as urgent in Bennington County as it is across the rest of the country. A survey of 153 middle and high school participants in a youth substance misuse prevention program found that only 53% of respondents were likely or very likely to discuss their mental health with a caring adult in their lives. In the words of a Bennington County 9th grader who completed the survey, “if you feel like you are not heard, it can have a very negative impact on your mental health.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help. You can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for confidential support 24/7.