By Christine Galeone, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Justin Mussler, the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) director at Shrewsbury Youth & Family Services (SYFS), hopes people will view mental illness the same way they view physical illness.
“In most cases, the longer a person goes undiagnosed or seeks treatment, the harder the illness is to remedy,” he said. “As well, when physically ill, continuing to follow the behaviors that made a person sick in the first place only make things worse. The same applies to mental illness.”
He added that symptoms of mental illness affect the people suffering and those around them.
“Early intervention helps everyone,” he noted.
Because of a recent three-year grant that SYFS received from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Shrewsbury social services agency has launched a program aimed at helping teens get the early intervention they need. SYFS is now offering free YMHFA training for adults who work with adolescents. Mussler said the goal of the program is to “help adults to get young people help when they need it.”
According to the Project Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE) grant description, its purpose is to help agencies “to begin to support the training of school personnel and other adults who interact with youth in both school settings and communities to detect and respond to mental illness in children and youth, including how to encourage adolescents and their families experiencing these problems to seek treatment.”
Mussler said that when SYFS Executive Director Terry Cassidy learned about the grant, she saw the potential to reach out to the community to offer information and skills that had not previously been available to the general public.
“Many young people with a mental disorder are not receiving any kind of professional help until their late teens or 20s, and, in some cases, people never receive professional help of any kind. The earlier an individual receives professional help in addressing a mental health challenge, the greater their chances for recovery,” explained Mussler. “The goal of this grant is to increase our community’s knowledge around adolescent mental health while reducing stigma.”
To achieve that goal, the YMHFA training is being offered in Grafton, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Westborough and Worcester. The eight-hour interactive training is generally taught in two four-hour classes, but there are some full eight-hour classes available for those who would prefer to complete the training in a single day. All of the classes are taught by Mussler or other SYFS staff members. In addition to providing teachers, parents, police officers, youth leaders and others who work with adolescents an understanding of the mental illnesses that affect teens, Mussler said the course offers “evidence-based techniques that provide adults with an effective way to approach and discuss challenging signs and symptoms with young people.”
“As trainers…we are in a very unique position, because we are teaching a technique that we use every day in our personal lives and our work. Unlike First Aid and CPR…YMHFA is used every day when working with young people, regardless of their mental health,” said Mussler. “It’s an approach that works to build trust between young people and adults.”
And Mussler said that the feedback he has received from participants has been “overwhelmingly positive” so far.
“It is hard to believe in some ways, but I don’t think we have had one participant whose life has not been impacted by mental illness,” he said. “And in most cases, people simply don’t know how to help or support those they care about who are struggling. The course provides them with the knowledge and awareness they need to step into a situation safely and get people professional help. Participants walk out feeling confident and supported. Our community and its young people desperately need adults who can assist them when they are struggling with mental illnesses.”
Upcoming Free YMHFA Training Sessions
• Thursday, March 17, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and
Thursday, March 24, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location – Northborough Free Library, 34 Main St.
• Saturday, March 19, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location – Forbes Municipal Building, 45 W. Main St., Westborough
• Thursday, March 31, from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and
Thursday, April 7, from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location – St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 53 N. Main St., North Grafton
• Monday, May 2, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and
Tuesday, May 3, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location – Forbes Municipal Building, 45 W. Main St., Westborough
To sign up for these free training sessions, visit the SYFS website, www.syfs-ma.org/training.html.
