Mental Health First Aid Program

Mental Health First Aid Training at Fairfield

By Megan Smyth, Social Services Director

The CDC has reported that  one in six school-aged children meet criteria for a mental illness.   With this in mind, the staff and students at Fairfield Schools recognized a need for education and guidance in supporting and helping our students who may be suffering from mental health challenges. 

On January 16, 2023, staff at Fairfield Schools became trained and certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid.  Mental Health First Aid provides staff with the opportunity to learn the signs and symptoms of what a mental illness can look like in our students.  Staff was educated in ways they can intervene, support the student, and then help them in accessing the appropriate resources if necessary.  The staff was also presented with hands-on activities to practice these skills.  

"Mental health is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. Children (and adults) are facing new mental challenges that are not easy to deal with.  As an educator and coach, I was grateful to attend a training to learn about ways to help in a mental health crisis. 

Having the knowledge and tools to help students in a crisis is so important because you never know what a child might need on any given day," commented Kendra Nisly, First Grade Teacher.

A teen version of Mental Health First Aid was also provided to our sophomore, juniors and seniors. In these sessions, our students learned an action plan for them to use when a friend is experiencing a mental health challenge. Students learned how to approach and support their friends in getting them to a trusted adult. 

Fairfield Mental Health Liaison Layne Pankratz said, “I thought the Mental Health First Aid Program was a great opportunity for staff and students to be more aware of what is happening around them. It also allowed them to practice and gain the confidence to seek help for their peers that they may see in a hard place.”

Students and staff looked at what mental health challenges are and how common they are among teens.  They were also provided the resources available in our school and in our community, as well as instructions on how to access them.  While the program started in Australia and is nationwide in the United States, Fairfield is the first school in Reno County that has trained both staff and students in this evidence based program.

For more information about Mental Health First Aid, click here.