RENO, Nev. – Since April 2020, The Children’s Cabinet has hosted 12 free online courses for adults looking to support youth called Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA). Additionally, the YMHFA Program team has trained 133 adults, with 22 additional students registered for the April 22 course.
“The feedback from these courses has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Taylor Morgan, Program Coordinator and course instructor at The Children’s Cabinet. “Many adults are very thankful this program exists and I really believe this program gives people the skills to potentially save lives.”
Within the number of students who have completed coursework with YMHFA, The Children’s Cabinet has trained representatives from larger organizations and businesses such as Truckee Meadows Community College, Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention, Eddy House, DCFS Nevada, Awaken, Washoe County School District, Davidson Academy, American Red Cross, Child Spring Youth Camp, and Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (J4NG).
“We are excited by the feedback YMHFA is receiving in the community,” said Kim Young, Executive Director of The Children’s Cabinet. “We know how important youth mental health is and having the ability to engage with so many committed adults has been wonderful. This class is offered to any interested adult, at no cost, and we look forward to training hundreds of more adults over the next 2 years.”
The curriculum and training have been provided by the National Council for Behavioral Health and funding was granted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The classes are designed to teach parents, mentors, teachers, coaches, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Anyone interested can sign up for a one-day training session and The Children’s Cabinet offers these free online classes virtually every month.
The 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.
Interested adults should contact Taylor Morgan at 775-348-6781 or tmorgan@childrenscabinet.org for the Spring and Summer course offerings. Adults may also download a one-sheet here. Other mental health services The Children’s Cabinet offers include free family counseling and a middle school screening called Signs of Suicide with Washoe County School District. For more information about The Children’s Cabinet and the services offered, please visit www.childrenscabinet.org.
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About The Children’s Cabinet
Established in Reno 1985, The Children’s Cabinet exists to keep children safe and families together by offering services and resources that address unmet needs. The organization represents a unique and effective collaboration between the private sector and public agencies in Nevada. The Children’s Cabinet helps more than 11,000 families annually with a wide range of services: basic needs, child care resources, education, and work experience programs, crisis intervention, and family counseling. As a non-profit agency, The Children’s Cabinet relies on community support to provide programs and services at no charge to children and their families.
