Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Certification: Tools for Supporting Teens During Challenging Times
Now, more than ever, Jewish teens are in need of trusted adults in their lives who are actively engaged in their well-being. This moment in time is particularly difficult because existential challenges brought on by the war in Israel are piling on top of the day-to-day complicated lives of Jewish teens…creating a cumulative effect. If you are a Jewish youth professional who works with adolescents (12-18+ years old), this training is for you.
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) enables youth professionals to recognize signs of distress and guide a young person toward appropriate treatments and other supportive health care. Participants will learn how to distinguish between typical adolescent development and symptoms of mental health challenges most common to young people; anxiety, depression, eating or substance use disorders, and the impact of social media and bullying. YMHFA emphasizes the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent who is in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. They will walk away with strategies for self-care and a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Participants who complete this course will earn a certificate that is valid for 3 years.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Erica Hruby at ehruby@jewishedproject.org
- Educator Training
- Family Engagement
- Teen Engagement
- Mental Health
- Mental Health
Erica Hruby, M.A. is a Jewish educator with nearly 30-years of teaching, curriculum writing, and professional development experience in Jewish community, academic, and residential environments. Erica serves as Senior Manager, National Teen Education and Engagement at The Jewish Education Project. She is also the founder of Anchored Parenting, LLC where she serves as a parent educator and coach. Erica has an M.A. from Georgia School of Professional Psychology in Clinical Psychology with a focus on children and adolescents. She lives on the West Coast of Florida with her high school sweetheart with whom she shares two adult daughters.
Russell Birner, MS, LPC, NCC is a teen and young adult therapist based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his partner, Becky Cohen, and their dogs, Layla and Ozzie. A former attorney and mediator, for the past seven years he has been the Director of Community/Camper Care, first at Young Judaea’s Camp Tel Yehudah, and as of Summer 2024, at Camp Mountain Chai in Southern California. He is a certified instructor of both Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid.
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