You’ll be inspired by this school’s mental health first aid ‘first responders’

'This program isn’t about teaching kids to be psychologists—it’s triage, it’s like an ambulance,' assistant principal says.

Students at Wayne Valley High School are getting mental health first aid from “first responders” who have been trained to spot danger signs. And these first responders are none other than their classmates because students are most likely to tell their friends when they are suffering from anxiety, depression or other mental crises, says Scott Wisniewski, assistant principal of the New Jersey high school.

“A lot of kids are struggling with mental health and, more times than not, the first people they’ll go to are their parents or peers,” explains Wisniewski, who also supervises math, computer science and counseling at the school near New York City. “We’re excited to provide this program to give our students an understanding of what to do if they see a friend in crisis.”

The training, which is funded by a National Council for Mental Wellbeing grant, is geared toward juniors, who learn mental health first aid techniques during six health class sessions led by the school’s counselors. The key steps in delivering mental health first aid are spotting the warning signs, asking students how they’re feeling, listening to their ordeals, and connecting them with an adult. Integral to the process is building trust so students maintain friendships while seeking help, Wisniewski says.


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“This program isn’t about teaching kids to be psychologists,” he points out. “Nobody is diagnosing anybody with anything—it’s triage, it’s like an ambulance. It’s about assessing the situation and getting kids to someone who can help.”

Students learn that, in addition to attentive listening, it’s key to try to keep the person in distress as calm as possible and make it clear that help from an adult will be sought. The training sessions also cover how to respond to someone who may be threatening to harm themselves or others.

The well-being of the students being trained in mental health first aid is also a top concern. Counselors are available during the sessions just in case a conversation triggers discomfort or trauma in a student. Students also are notified ahead of time about what topics will be covered in each training.

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Wayne Valley High School’s counselors are just about to embark on the second year of mental health training after launching the program in the 2021-22 school year. The initiative is helping to destigmatize both suffering mental health problems and seeking help. In the future, Wisniewski hopes additional grants will allow the school to expand mental health first aid training to parents, caregivers and other community members.

“COVID shined a bright light on the mental health concerns schools face,” he concludes. “Students now have a plan for what to do and they are more confident about having these conversations.”

Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick is a life-long journalist. Prior to writing for District Administration he worked in daily news all over the country, from the NYC suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, Silicon Valley and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He's also in a band.

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