On Monday, Ector County Independent School District (ECISD) hosted one of the largest Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training sessions in the state, providing 1,800 teachers and instructional facilitators with crucial skills to support students struggling with mental health issues. Held at Odessa High School, this training is a part of a larger effort to equip school personnel with the tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges among young people.
What is Youth Mental Health First Aid?
Youth Mental Health First Aid is a specialized training program designed to help adults identify the early signs of mental health struggles in young people and provide initial support until professional help can be obtained. It covers a range of issues, from suicidal ideation to anxiety, depression, and more complex challenges like substance abuse or self-harm.
Taylor Roy, ECISD’s Executive Director of Guidance, Counseling, and Wellness, explained that the training empowers educators to spot warning signs like behavioral changes, outbursts, or shifts in daily routines, which can indicate that a student may be struggling with mental health issues.
“We’re not training teachers to be counselors,” Roy emphasized. “What we’re training them to do is recognize the signs and then connect students to the right resources. They can be the ‘safe space’ a student needs.”
Largest Training Event in Texas
The event at Odessa High School marked a milestone as the largest single-day Youth Mental Health First Aid training in Texas. Roy revealed that ECISD has about 60 certified instructors from across the country, all of whom adhered to a strict instructor-to-participant ratio of 32-to-1. Importantly, the training must be in-person to ensure its effectiveness.
In accordance with House Bill 3, which mandates that all Texas school district personnel who regularly interact with students undergo YMHFA training by 2028, ECISD is taking significant strides to meet this requirement. Monday’s training session was a huge step forward, and the district plans to continue training more staff throughout the school year.
A Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Approach
The training is rooted in evidence-based research and provides educators with structured methods to identify and address mental health issues. Participants are introduced to different scenarios to help them understand the progression of mental health challenges in students.
Dalia Ramirez, a Mental Health First Aid Training Specialist from PermiaCare, guided attendees through five different scenarios, each designed to illustrate the stages of a mental health crisis:
Early signs – Recognizing subtle changes in a student’s behavior.
Worsening signs – Noticing further deterioration in the student’s well-being.
Crisis stage – Addressing the most severe and urgent mental health situations.
Scenarios could include anything from substance use and self-harm (such as cutting) to issues stemming from breakups or general emotional distress.
Recognizing and Responding to Signs
The key aspect of the training is teaching educators how to recognize changes in students, such as failing grades, isolation, loss of interest in activities, or lack of concentration. Once these early signs are identified, educators are then trained on how to approach the student and have a meaningful conversation about what might be troubling them.
Ramirez explained, “Once you recognize that something’s different, how do you have that conversation? How do you ask, ‘What’s really bothering you?’ and ‘What’s going on?’”
Teachers are also taught how to connect students with the appropriate resources, both within the school (e.g., counselors) and through external support networks like the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Supporting Teachers and Staff
Roy pointed out that, often, school personnel spend more time with students than anyone else. This close connection places teachers in a unique position to notice when a student is struggling and offer support. In addition to supporting students, the training also helps educators recognize warning signs in themselves, promoting mental well-being for the teachers and staff as well.
“988 is available to anyone,” Roy said, underscoring the importance of this resource for students and teachers alike who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Continued Support and Resources
Mental Health First Aid has been available in the U.S. since 2008 and has proven to be an invaluable tool in providing early intervention in mental health cases. In the region, organizations like ECISD, ConocoPhillips, Oceans Behavioral Hospital, and others have sponsored events like this one to increase awareness and support for mental health care in schools.
Roy added that the district would continue to work with its Human Resources department to phase in the remaining staff who were unable to attend the training, ensuring that all educators are adequately prepared to support students’ mental health needs.
The ECISD training reflects a growing recognition of the importance of mental health in education, and the district is committed to ensuring that every teacher, facilitator, and staff member is equipped with the tools they need to identify and respond to mental health challenges effectively. With the largest-ever training event in Texas under its belt, ECISD is setting a strong example for other districts in the state and nationwide.
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