Libera mental health support programs for middle school youth will expand mental health support services for the population of focus of 300 unduplicated middle school youth who identify as female or…

Libera mental health support programs for middle school youth will expand mental health support services for the population of focus of 300 unduplicated middle school youth who identify as female or nonbinary within a geographic catchment area of ohio, boone, clay, cabell, and kanawha counties in west virginia. This project will provide 10 week libera model groups, an evidence-based approach to supporting and enhancing the mental health of adolescents. The project will also provide mental health empowerment boxes with mental health tools, books, activities, resources, coping skills, and crisis lines to youth to help prevent mental health crises. Two libera counseling staff members will also become trained as trainers for applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) in order to respond to crises and train others. Eight libera staff and fifteen volunteers will be trained in suicide prevention as well. Young girls in america are facing unprecedented challenges related to mental health risks. In 2021, 41.4% of middle school girls in west virginia reported their mental health was most of the time or always not good. Libera has conducted mental health support groups with middle school youth for over five years in eight counties in west virginia, and research performed by DR. Elizabeth claydon at the WVU school of public health shows that libera model groups are effective in decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and increasing life satisfaction. Goal 1: increase the quality of mental health of middle schoolers in the five county geographic catchment of west virginia through implementation of an evidence-based libera model that decreases depressive and anxiety symptoms, and increases life satisfaction. Objective 1: by december 31, 2024, hire two new mental health staff to carry out the above programs; these two new staff and at least five volunteers will have been trained on the selected, evidence-based libera model curriculum and listener training. Objective 2: by january 31, 2025, begin libera model groups in the catchment area and sharing of crisis lines, the opportunity to connect with our libera counselors, and a safe space to share mental health challenges. Objective 3: by june 30, 2025, have two libera staff members trained as trainers in applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST), eight staff trained in ASIST, and by september 29, 2025 at least fifteen other non-staff trained in suicide prevention. Objective 4: by september 29, 2025, at least 100 middle school youth will have completed libera model groups, with some youth involved from every county listed. Objective 5: by september 29, 2025, hope survey scores indicate that libera interventions have a positive impact of at least a 10% increase in hope in group participants. Goal 2: provide take home mental health empowerment boxes that middle school youth can use themselves for calming, coping skills, and improving their own mental health. Objective 1:by march 31, 2025, libera will create 300 mental health boxes filled with age appropriate books, art therapy, coping skills, mental health tools, and crisis lines. Objective 2: by april 1, 2025, libera will begin distributing mental health boxes and resources from our libera resource bus at events and facilities for middle school youth, including group participants. The bus will serve as a space for listening to youth. Objective 3: by september 29, 2025, libera will provide at least 300 empowerment boxes to 300 unduplicated youth with mental health tools, resources, coping skills, and crisis lines to help prevent mental health crises.