Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Comes To Livingston Public Schools

LIVINGSTON, NJ —Mental health services for students have increased at Livingston Public Schools, as some staff are now trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid.

The school partnered with Mental Health First Aid USA, from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, for instruction on how to help adolescents who may be struggling with addiction or their mental health. Training will also give staff resources to help students aged 12-18 who are in a crisis, a news release said.

ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) grant funding helped pay for the training, according to LPS.

The funding included full-day training for administrators, supervisors, school counselors, child study team members, LINKS counselors and Student Assistance Counselors, the district said.

Ten Livingston Public Schools counselors have been certified as Mental Health First Aid instructors to train other staff members across the district.

According to the Mental Health First Aid USA website, the Youth Mental Health First Aid course "introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders."