The Counseling and Testing Center will host an annual workshop to educate teachers on how to keep a better eye on their students’ mental health Jan. 24 and Jan. 25.
Emily Johnson, University of Idaho’s mental health program coordinator, will lead the workshop along with other certified staff members.
This Mental Health First Aid training happens at least once a semester for both teachers and students, and is available upon request for any group on campus seeking a better understanding of mental health and the resources available, Johnson said.
“It’s really motivating to know that I am contributing to people’s mental and emotional health,” Johnson said.
Greek houses, residential advisers and even campus security have undergone this training, which certifies them for up to three years, Johnson said.
The training consists of two four-hour sessions or one eight-hour session, covering everything from specific mental illnesses, symptoms, positive approaches and helpful resource recommendation. The training addresses different signs for different mental illnesses as well as healthy and efficient ways a teacher can approach a student about seeking help when they have identified a mental health problem, Johnson said.
The Student Health Department at UI applied for and received the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant three years ago, which allowed them to fund the training sessions along with other programs around campus, Johnson said.
“I think it’s always really important to educate people on not just academic achievement, success and retention for a college student, but also how their mental health and physical health impact those things as well,” Johnson said. “So having these gatekeepers, these people trained to recognize these things on campus can only help students and hopefully get them to resources that they need.”
This program benefits the campus as a whole by enabling professors to reach out and help their students and providing students with another outlet to seek help where they need it.
“I think that if we take a step back we will realize how much mental health contributes to success in higher education,” Johnson said. “There are so many working parts in what makes students happy and healthy and successful on campus.”
This program is not mandatory for faculty, but is often recommended by supervisors. Somewhere between 15 and 20 faculty and staff members are normally present, Johnson said.
“Maybe the stigma around mental health has decreased. I think that people are willing to seek help and participate in help-seeking behaviors for others,” Johnson said.
Nicole Etchemendy can be reached at [email protected]