Helio Health Collaborates with Syracuse City School District
June 21, 2023
Helio Health is collaborating with the Syracuse City School District to train staff and students in Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid.
Mental Health First Aid is a training developed by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing that teaches adults, teens, and youth how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders among family, friends, peers, teachers, and caregivers. The training teaches skills that you need to identify, understand, and respond to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
Helio Health will be training 10th through 12th grade students at Corcoran, Henninger, PSLA at Fowler, Nottingham, and ITC. Over 100 staff were trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid in the past week and half. The students will be trained in Teen Mental Health First Aid.
Helio Health’s Interim President & CEO, Kathleen Gaffney-Babb says, “Helio Health is proud to partner with the Syracuse City School District to provide this evidence-based training that is designed to help our youth, teen, family, and community know how to identify and respond when someone they encounter is experiencing a problem or crisis. One in five individuals are affected by substance use and mental health disorders. Helio Health’s partnership with the Syracuse City School District will help reduce the fear and stigma associated with asking for and accepting assistance.”
“We are committed to meeting the needs of all our students, including helping them manage their mental health. With the support of Helio Health, we have been able to train staff members in each of our high schools on how to identify, understand, and respond to someone who is experiencing mental health challenges,” said Janel Milana, Coordinator of School Support at the Syracuse City School District. “We want to continue training our staff so that we can increase the number of identified staff members who can provide mental health; first aid supports to our students. This training will allow us the ability to offer assistance to more students as they address their mental health needs.”