02/21/2022

Wentworth-Douglass Funds Teen Mental Health First Aid Training

The Dover Mental Health Alliance will be able to fund two years of its Teen Mental Health First Aid Training thanks to a $7,500 community benefit grant from the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Community Benefit Task Force.

“This initiative is just one big step to help change our culture, and support our youth, when it comes to mental health. Wentworth-Douglass is, once again, playing a huge role in making our community a better place to live, grow, and be healthy,” said Suzanne Weete, one of the founders of the Dover Mental Health Alliance.

Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers. Teens will learn the skills they need to have supportive conversations with their friends and how to get help from a responsible and trusted adult.

“We believe this important program will have a meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of young people in our community,” said Jeff Hughes, president, and CEO of Wentworth-Douglass. “We are proud to be able to fund this training for two more years to help our teenagers navigate the important issue of mental health and empower them to care for others.”

Wentworth-Douglass conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years as part of its commitment to the community’s well-being. The results of the 2019 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey showed that mental health was an area that needs significant attention.  
“The hospital is eager to support this important initiative to help teens identify warning signs, encourage them to get help, end stigma, and support suicide prevention,” said Michelle Hanson, Director of Strategic Planning and Community Benefit. “Helping Seacoast teenagers navigate these challenges can help lead to a healthier community.”

The funds donated are approved by the hospital’s Community Benefit Funding Disbursement Committee and are not raised through any public or private donations.

Certified teen mental health first aid trainers from the Dover Mental Health Alliance and Dover High School introduced tMHFA to the 10th graders taking health class this past fall. The other half of the 10th grade class will also be trained as teen mental health first aiders this spring in health class. The four-day class teaches youth how to recognize risk factors and warning signs of a mental health crisis in their peers, to learn how to approach their friends appropriately, and to then get help from a professional.  

“If you saw a person fall and break their arm, you’d do what you can, with the skills that you have, to help that person. That may just be by calling 911, which is totally appropriate. This is the same with teen mental health first aid. It does not teach you to diagnose a problem, but it does teach you how to recognize that something is not right with a friend and to be able to respond appropriately in the moment by getting the help of a trained professional. It truly is first aid, for mental health,” Weete said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) by dialing 800-273-TALK (8255) or the Crisis Text Line: 741741. These lines are staffed 24/7 by trained mental health professionals. 

(Pictured: Michelle Hanson, Wentworth-Douglass Director of Strategic Planning and Community Benefit; Kellie Mueller, Wentworth-Douglass Assistant Vice President of Behavioral Health Services; Andrea Parise (holding the check) Teen Mental Health First Aid instructor and with Community Partners; Suzanne Weete, Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor, a founding member of the Dover Mental Health Alliance and with Community Partners; Amanda Spadafora, Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor and health teacher at Dover High School; and students involved in the program.)