ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) – McHenry County will train educators on how to identify and support youths experiencing mental health issues.
The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that the county mental health board is collaborating with 17 school districts to bring Youth Mental Health First Aid training to instructors in August. The training includes teaching them crisis intervention.
The five-day training in August will be primarily for middle and high school administrators, special education staff, social workers and psychologists.
In January, the mental health board approved up to $40,000 in subsidies to allocate to Youth Mental Health First Aid training after new state mandate required school boards to address mental health concerns.
Data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that one in five children aged 13 to 18 years has experienced a severe mental illness.
