Blue Valley School District leaders took several hours out of their morning last week to become more well-versed in mental health training through the Mental Health First Aid program.
The national skills-based training course, sponsored locally by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, trains educators on being able to meet the needs of kids ages 6-18 facing mental health and substance use challenges.
Last week, Blue Valley school administrators met at the Hilltop Conference Center in Overland Park for a hands-on training experience.
Why it matters: The program consists of a course that gives faculty the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to its website, evidence behind the program demonstrates that it builds mental health literacy, while helping the people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health.
Details: As part of this recent course, Blue Valley staff learned how to apply a 5-step action plan for responding to the mental health needs of youth.
Administrators were also taught how to help reduce the stigma of mental health and signs and symptoms of the most common mental health challenges.
“We want people to be able to see signs and symptoms as they’re emerging, so we don’t wait until something’s a crisis to intervene,” said Kristin Gernon, a behavioral health training and development specialist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. “We know that outcomes are better if somebody signs and symptoms are addressed early”
Another specialist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Jacie Harris, said this type of program offers a unique approach to teaching about mental health awareness through both presentation and hands-on experience.
“Some of it’s us talking, presenting and going over skills,” Harris said. “But the other, and probably the most important half, is actually walking through scenarios in which we give [administrators] examples in which we really encourage them to use their words and put themselves in the situations.”
Implementation: While many school districts in Johnson County have been interested in taking part in Mental Health First Aid, Blue Valley is one of the first districts in the area to offer the program to its administrators, Harris said.
Among those in attendance for the training was Blue Valley director of athletics and activities Matt Ortman.
He said he found it important to take part in the mental health training in order to incorporate it into professional learning for all of the district’s coaches and sponsors in the future.
“It’s been nice learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms, but the biggest part for me has been getting to know the resources and the tools that I can pull from to get help for my students,” Ortman said.
Sunset Ridge Elementary principal Mary Riley said she too took the course in hopes of being able to bring the knowledge she learned from it back to her school and introduce it to her staff.
“I jumped at this opportunity,” Riley said. “My plan will be to introduce this information in our professional learning days that are coming up.”
Key quote: “Ideally, everyone in school buildings, from the people in the lunchroom to the people who do security and support, should know what to do in a mental health crisis, because you never know who’s going to be the best person to connect with a child,” Gernon said.
