(Neola, Iowa) – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach officials have announced Youth Mental Health First Aid training will be held Thursday, April 17, 2025, at Tri-Center High School. The event is open to the public. Danielle Day, Human Sciences Educator, says “Research from the National Alliance for Mental Illness shows that 1 in 5 teens and young adults lives with a mental health condition. Additionally, over 64% of youth living with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment according to recent data from Mental Health America.”

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has responded to these alarming statistics by offering Youth Mental Health First Aid. This program provides adults with tools they can use to identify when a youth (ages 6-18) in their life might be struggling with a mental health and/or substance use problem. Participants also will learn how to connect youth to appropriate support and resources when necessary. A five-step action plan will be taught to guide participants through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

Everyone can benefit from taking a Youth Mental Health First Aid course; including paramedics, social workers, coaches, school counselors, youth faith leaders, teachers, 4-H Leaders, parents, siblings and other community members. “Learning more about mental health can help reduce the stigma associated with seeking appropriate professional help. When we can recognize signs of trouble, we can help people get the assistance they need,” said Day.

ISU Extension and Outreach will offer Youth Mental Health First Aid on April 17th from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Tri-Center High School, Neola, Iowa. Private classes for groups of 15-30 participants are also available to be scheduled. The program is available to the public at no cost thanks to funding provided by a Project Recovery Iowa grant for the Presidentially declared FEMA disaster counties.

For more information, contact Danielle Day at daday@iastate.edu or call 641-229-6563. Class size is limited so register today at https://go.iastate.edu/WUNTSM. Registration closes April 4^th, 2025.