Supporting Youth Mental Health for Volunteers Training

Build skills to support youth mental health. Sign up today!

What You’ll Learn

Through interactive online learning, practice situations, and discussion, participants will learn about:

  • Volunteers’ important role in supporting youth mental health
  • Signs and symptoms of a mental health challenge, including suicidal ideas or attempts
  • Simple skills and strategies to build trusting relationships and talk to a youth who is struggling
  • Roles, responsibilities, and resources for volunteers who support youth

Why?

Because we can help break the stigma of mental illness, by asking questions, listening, and being there for young people.

Adults who volunteer with young people, care about young people. One way to show we care is to give help and support when someone is feeling down. That’s what the Supporting Youth Mental Health for Volunteers Training—Supporting YMH, for short—is all about: knowing how to support youth when they’re down, whether it’s simply a bad day or it’s more than that.

The full Supporting YMH training has two parts:

  • 1-hour online training
  • 2-hour live training—offered virtually or in-person

Join the YMH Movement

A team of youth, volunteers, and staff developed this training. Now, it’s available to you!

Volunteer Requirement:

Overnight youth experiences require all volunteers serving as chaperones, or adult advisors, to be trained.

After a volunteer has completed the full training, a short refresher training (linked on this page) are required every two years.

Register for the full Supporting YMH Training

—> If you have never taken Supporting YMH before, start here. <—

Choose the time and format (virtual or in-person) that works for you. Click the link for a session below to register – you must click on “register” or click on the link to go to a registration portal – clicking on “Add to Calendar” will not register you for the session! You will receive a confirmation email with information about how to sign into the online portion of the course.  (If you do not receive a confirmation email, you are not registered for the training.)

 

 

Notice of Difficult Content: This can be a difficult topic for many people. If you are concerned some or all of the content may be traumatizing for you, we want to work with you. Contact your local educator or Dawn VandeVoort at dawn.vandevoort@wisc.edu or 920-366-7087 to discuss options, or speak to a facilitator if you have concerns about the live training.

Supporting Youth Mental Health REFRESHER Training

Note: The Supporting Youth Mental Health Refresher (SYMH-R training is intended for volunteers and staff who have previously completed the 2.5-hour original SYMH Training. The Refresher is required every 2 years following the original training.

Click the “Start the Refresher Training” button to begin. This training takes about 20-30 minutes to complete.

Youth Mental Health Training Waivers

Have you had Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training in the last two years? If yes, you may not need to take Extension’s Supporting Youth Mental Health Training. To receive a waiver for completing YMHFA, do one of these two things:

  • Send a dated certificate to 4h@extension.wisc.edu – Make sure the certificate date is in the last two years.
  • Don’t have a certificate? If you took an Extension YMHFA training, send the full name and email to 4h@extension.wisc.edu. We will follow up from there.

Note: All staff and volunteers who serve in overnight chaperon roles are responsible for understanding the expectations described in Extension’s Youth Mental Health Reference Guide. The Guide will be shared in the waiver confirmation email. Also, every two years, a short youth mental health booster training is required, even for those who have received the YMHFA waiver.

Want to Learn More?

If you liked Supporting YMH and want more training, check out Youth Mental Health First Aid training. It is also offered by Extension.

Questions?

Contact Dawn VandeVoort at 920-366-7087 or dawn.vandevoort@wisc.edu


Supporting YMH Staff Resources

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