teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)
From Fall 2023 to Spring 2025 IWES is offering free teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) workshops for local youth-serving organizations. tMHFA teaches teens how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers. tMHFA is funded by the United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA).
Experts agree that there is an urgent need to address an intensifying youth mental health crisis across the nation. Since 2017, suicide has been the leading cause of death for youth age 10-19, and as of 2019, suicide was the fifth-leading cause of death in pre-adolescents. It is alarming to note that:
Among Black children, the rate of suicide is highest among children ages 5-11;
Suicide has become the second leading cause of death among Black youth ages 10-14; and
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Black adolescents ages 15-19. In Louisiana, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24, and Black students had the highest rates of suicidal ideation and attempts found among Louisiana high school students.
This program seeks to equip teens with the tools to provide mental health peer support. With Black youth suicidality at a disproportionately high rate in Louisiana, this program aims to raise awareness of the signs of and resources for mental health challenges. Overall, the goal is to build a powerful community of teens ages 15-18 by teaching them how to support a friend or classmate with the evidence-based teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) course.
Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is a 4-hour workshop that can be broken up into shorter sessions. Workshops are led by IWES co-workers and a youth Fellow.
Participants will learn:
How to start the conversation about mental health and substance use challenges.
Common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
The impact of school violence and bullying on mental wellbeing.
How to seek the help of a responsible and trusted adult.
Youth tMHFA participants will receive a $50 gift card.
