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Mental Health Update

February 14, 2019
Mental Health Update

MH Update – 2/14/19 – Press Release Highlighting the MHANYS School Mental Health Resource and Training Center


Listed below is a press release highlighting the work of the MHANYS School Mental Health Resource and Training Center. If you would like more information about the work that we are doing, you can visit the website at www.mentalhealthednys.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

School Mental Health Resource & Training Center Launches 

New Online Training Program, Building on its Impact

More than 50 percent of New York’s public schools have accessed the Resource Center, with over 10,000 people visiting its website for information and assistance

ALBANY, N.Y.; FEB. 13, 2018—The School Mental Health Resource & Training Center, an initiative of the Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS), has launched a new self-paced online training program to further prepare educators, administrators and other school staff with an in-depth understanding of how to support the mental health of students. The online course outlines New York State’s first-in-nation law requiring mental health instruction in all K-12 schools, and it explains how individual school personnel can do their part to help implement it.

The launch of the online training program follows an impactful first seven months for the School Mental Health Resource & Training Center. Already, more than 10,800 individual users have visited the Center’s website/online learning space to gain access to information about the law and youth mental health. The Center’s staff has also facilitated over 60 in-person professional development trainings for about 3,600 participants.

“About one in five young people ages 13-18 will experience a severe mental health disorder at some point in their lives. New York State’s law requiring mental health instruction in schools, combined with the relentless work of the School Mental Health Resource & Training Center, will help ensure New Yorkers learn, from a young age, how to manage their mental wellness and how to get help when they need it,” said MHANYS CEO Glenn Liebman.

MHANYS created the Resource & Training Center to help implement the state’s mental health education law, which went into effect in July 2018. The Center provides school districts and individual educators with assistance and guidance, and it directs MHANYS’ 26 regional affiliates statewide in supplying additional on-the-ground support to local schools.

The Center also reported the following impacts:

· More than 50 percent of all public schools in New York have accessed the Center since its launch.

· Over 1,000 educators have registered on the Center’s website, and more than 1,040 educators have accessed the Center’s K-12 lesson plans online.

· About 1,100 website users have accessed the Center’s “Resource Briefs” which provide a snapshot of available programs for mental health instruction.

· The Center’s search tool for community-based resources has been accessed over 1,100 times.

Its new online training course—titled *Supporting the Mental Health and Wellness of Students*—deepens participants’ understanding of mental health topics such as:

· Mental health as an integral component of overall health.

· Prevalence of mental health problems and their impact on youth development and learning.

· Impact of culture on mental health and recovery.

· Signs, symptoms and risk factors.

· Treatment and support options and the recovery process.

Successful completion of the online training program is eligible for one CTLE credit.

The School Mental Health Resource & Training Center is supported through $1 million in grant funding that the New York State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo included in last year’s state budget. At its upcoming Mental Health Matters legislative day March 13, MHANYS and its supporters will advocate for a renewed funding commitment to continue the progress the Center has made in its first several months.

“New York State currently spends about $22,000 per pupil each year. For another 33 cents, we can provide schools with the support and assistance they need to educate youth, families and staff about mental health. It’s a small yet critical investment that will improve the health and safety of our students and communities,” Liebman said.

School districts and educators can contact the Center to ask questions or request assistance by email at schools@mhanys.org, or by calling 518-434-0439 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center can be visited online at www.mentalhealthednys.org.

About Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.

The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) is a nonprofit organization that works to end the stigma against mental illness and promotes mental health wellness in New York State. MHANYS achieves this through training, education, advocacy and policy, community-based partnership programming, and by connecting individuals and families to help. Following its successful efforts to secure approval of a law requiring mental health instruction in schools, MHANYS established the School Mental Health Resource & Training Center to facilitate effective implementation of the new law. Across the state, MHANYS has 26 regional MHA affiliates that are active in 50 counties. For more information, visit mhanys.org/.

Media Contact:

John Mackowiak
518-618-1175
jmackowiak@martingroupmarketing.com