Protecting young people through mental health education - mental health disorders are more common than heart disease and cancers combined

However, mental illnesses have for too long been treated as separate and tangential to our overall health and well-being. Because of this, and due to the stigma that often surrounds mental illness, accessing mental health services can prove to be difficult. Over the course of the next 5 years, we will train more than 3,500 individuals (710 annually) in evidence-based mental health education programs including youth mental health first aid, teen mental health first aid, and QPR (question, persuade, refer) suicide prevention education. By providing these programs to youth, parents, caregivers, and educators in our community, we will cast a wider safety net around young people in our area who live with mental health challenges or who face mental health crises. Educating these populations on the signs and symptoms of mental health concerns is the first step in breaking down barriers that often get in the way of seeking help, and serves as a mechanism for placing young people on a path of hope and recovery. Our goal is to make life-saving mental health education as accessible as physical first aid and CPR classes. By working directly with the state college area school district, the largest district in our region, our work can begin immediately so that we can foster an environment of awareness and understanding within our schools and our broader community. Beginning in the first year, and continuing for the cycle of the grant, we will be training the entire 11TH grade student-body (approximately 400 students annually) in teen mental health first aid, a program that teaches how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among friends and get a responsible and trusted adult to take over as necessary. In conjunction with empowering young people to identify and understand mental health issues, we will be providing monthly QPR suicide prevention education courses for parents and caregivers. QPR courses will also be offered to teachers and staff in the district at least one time each quarter. In addition, collectively we will provide 55 opportunities each year for parents and school faculty and staff to participate in youth mental health first aid certification courses. Education and awareness are keys to encouraging conversations around mental health and breaking down barriers to accessing help. Expanding knowledge around these topics with students and those who come into contact with them will ensure we are casting the largest safety net possible and keeping our children safe.