Your Thoughts Matter: Mental Health and Youth

Your Thoughts Matter: Mental Health and Youth session will help participants identify innovative ways to include mental health conversations into their existing youth programming. According to the National Council on Behavioral Health, one in every five American youth has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Extension has a long history of quality, research-based, youth programming, specifically in the areas of health and wellness, but the topic of mental health is often overlooked due to its taboo nature. Extension professionals Amanda Raines (4-H) and Jami Dellifield (FCS) are certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructors who are working across disciplines and with community partners to engage Extension and the entire Ohio State community in the mental health conversation. Together they have developed a 4-H project book (Your Thoughts Matter: Navigating Mental Health) for teens that introduces youth to the concepts of mental health and wellness through experiential learning, as well as brief lessons for camp counselors and junior leaders. Participants will learn mental health terminology and statistics while participating in hands-on activities. Participants will gain a better understanding of why an open dialogue on brain health is vital to positive youth development. The concepts in this presentation will focus on engaging youth in this discussion, but participants will be able to apply the knowledge gained to college-age and adult audiences as well. Participants will gain confidence in how to approach this delicate topic and carry on a fact-based discussion with others. A variety of resources will be shared to help engage all audiences.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Amanda Raines, The Ohio State University Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Hardin County, raines.74@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Jami Dellifield, The Ohio State University Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Hardin County.Participants will learn about and identify innovative ways to include mental health conversations into their existing youth programming. According to the National Council on Behavioral Health, one in every five American youth has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Extension has a long history of quality, research-based, youth programming, specifically in the areas of health and wellness; but the topic of mental health is often overlooked due to its taboo nature. The presenters are certified Youth Mental Health First Aid instructors who are working across disciplines to engage the entire Ohio State community in the mental health conver-sation. Attendees will learn mental health terminology and statistics while participating in hands-on activities, and will gain a better understanding of why open dialogue on brain health is vital to positive youth development