Addressing the mental health needs of individuals is critically important. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14 and three-quarters by mid-20s. Left unaddressed, mental health issues can lead to serious consequences for a young person’s well-being, including increased risk of dropping out of school or experiencing homelessness. Tragically, suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year-olds. Through support and partnership with the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health (IABH), the Great Lakes MHTTC committed to conducting a Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training Initiative to provide training to adults who work with youth on how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
The opinions expressed herein are the views of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), SAMHSA, CSAT or the MHTTC Network. No official support or endorsement of DHHS, SAMHSA, or CSAT for the opinions of authors presented in this e-publication is intended or should be inferred.