Author: Crystal Smith
Planning Unit: Letcher County CES
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
Plan of Work: Improving Physical, Health and Mental Well-Being--2020
Outcome: Initial Outcome
The mental health in youth and young adults has been an unspeakable topic for years until of recent many in Eastern Kentucky. The past several years for the youth, young adults, and basically everyone in Eastern Kentucky has been very hard and trying to maintain a normal life. Adolescence and youth have daily struggles when things are not as confusing in the world of dealing with a pandemic and a natural disaster. In 4-H we have a great working relationship in our county schools with the Family Resource Youth Coordinators in those positions they are faced with so much more than the public realizes. For some of the youth and families they rely on the items they are received each month, holiday, an on a whim. The educational component that this program allows the FRYSC to gain is like no other training that any of my county or adjoining county FRYSC had ever had before. Learning that Mental Health First Aid can begin at school is so important and realizing the signs that they young people may need more help than what we can give them is what makes the program worth the while. To educate school Family Resource Youth Coordinators on Youth Mental Health First Aid will help in the guidance of youth on the right path to the help that they need both at school and at home. Having a child or young adult in a school club, after school club we are only with those youth for short periods of time but the FRYSC are with the youth on the daily. The family youth resource coordinators have had such a challenge the past several years in our area that they welcomed the opportunity to attend the youth mental health first aid training. Of the Seven Family Resource Youth Coordinators all Letcher County FRYSC except 2 attended and 2 Knott County FRYSC. All felt confident in knowing the signs to look for with youth that are struggling in mental health, they learned how to administer and start the conversation. State 4-H Office Chuck Stamper and National Council for Mental Wellbeing was able to provide this training to the Family Resource Coordinators without a cost to Letcher County. For that in Letcher County is an amazing opportunity that could save a life and hopefully change many lives.
Program impact or participant response.
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