There will be a FREE training for high school teachers from across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on March 7, 2019.
The training will empower teachers to use the Mental Health & High School curriculum. This free training was made possible by a $6,000 grant that Great Lakes Recovery Centers, Inc. (GLRC) received from the Superior Health Foundation to train teachers in the curriculum. An additional $2,000 was received from the Do it for Daniel Foundation so that stipends could be offered to help cover sub-pay and mileage. The training is free, but individuals must register, as space is limited. There are still some spots available, so hurry to register today.
The Mental Health & High School curriculum was developed by Dr. Stan Kutcher, Professor of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Through the curriculum, students will increase their understanding of mental health, mental health issues and mental illnesses. This will help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and seeking help. Students will also learn coping strategies and how to encourage others to seek help. It is anticipated that through a greater understanding, mental health issues and suicidal ideation will be recognized and treatment can be sought so students can receive the help that they need to be more successful in school and life. Through data collected from implementing this curriculum in 106 districts in the state of Washington, 87% of students who received the curriculum increased their overall mental health literacy by 42%. And 66% of students decreased their stigmatizing attitudes.
The curriculum itself is made up of six modules that are taught over eight to twelve hours. The modules include: The Stigma of Mental Illness, Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness, Information on Specific Mental Illness, Experiences of Mental Illness, Seeking Help and Finding Support, and The Importance of Positive Mental Health. These modules will work nicely with the Michigan Model for Health. Students will begin learning about stigma, what it means and how it often acts as a barrier in seeking help for mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.
Learning about mental illness and their treatments can help to dispel misconceptions and stigma in regards to mental health. Students will learn about the way the brain controls thinking, emotions, behaviors and more. They will learn that mental illnesses have complex causes, including biological basis and are therefore not that different from other illnesses. They will learn that mental illnesses, like other illnesses, are treatable and the sooner people receive proper treatment and support, the better the outcomes. Students will also learn that it is everyone’s responsibility to fight the stigma associated with mental illness. Finally, students will learn the importance of positive mental health, skills and strategies to maintain good mental health, and coping skills.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in 5 children ages 13 – 18, have or will have a serious mental illness and 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Vital Records & Health, the suicide rate among young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the Upper Peninsula is 14.2 per 100,000 residents. That is almost twice the state level of 7.9. By providing these youth services sooner, we are more likely to be able to help them.
For more information about the curriculum, visit www.teenmentalhealth.org. To register for the training, please visit: https://www.solutionwhere.com/ww/maresa/ . For more information, contact Amy Poirier at (906) 523-9688 or apoirier@greatlakesrecovery.org.
