School Staff Learn Mental Illness Signs

Teachers and other school personnel across the nation are participating in the program “Typical or Troubled? School Mental Health Education,” which was developed and piloted by the American Psychiatric Foundation in 2004.

The program is designed to encourage and equip teachers, coaches, and other school personnel who work with teenagers to notice the warning signs of mental health problems and refer students for help.

Seventeen nonprofit organizations, schools, and school districts are implementing the program in 73 high schools. The foundation awarded small grants to 16 of the sites to defer the cost of implementation.

“We are very pleased to offer this outstanding educational program to these school communities,” said Altha Stewart, M.D., president of the American Psychiatric Foundation. “By training school personnel about the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, we can encourage early recognition and help young people obtain appropriate care.”

The American Psychiatric Foundation is the philanthropic and educational arm of APA. The foundation's mission is to advance public understanding that mental illnesses are real and can be effectively treated.

More information about this program and the foundation is posted at<www.psychfoundation.org>.▪