In November 2022, I was given the opportunity to complete a Mental Health First Aid seminar. I met Dr. Sabrina Scott (J.D., M.Ed., M.Ed.) through my friend, a student in her Lorain County Community College class. She invited me to join the seminar she offers students who wish to complete their Youth Mental Health First Aid certification. I had to complete a few hours of pre-course work where I learned about the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and how to aid students struggling with them. I also learned about different mental health disorders, the importance of self-care, and essential mental health resources. It is important to give struggling teenagers a voice, and taking the time to complete a seminar about mental health is one way to listen. Pursuing academic excellence through other opportunities beyond a student’s typical class schedule is also important.
The seminar part of the course was a 6-hour zoom meeting where we applied what we learned in the pre-course work. We had conversations with each other and simulated conversations we might have to reach out to a student struggling with a mental health challenge. We discussed specific language to use during a crisis and a non-crisis. The seminar taught us how to talk to youth struggling with mental health challenges and advocate for them and ourselves. We learned about the importance of self-care, especially as Mental Health First Aiders. We need to take time for ourselves and advocate for our needs. It is also important to advocate for young people who may not be able to advocate for themselves. We learned that adolescents have many barriers to receiving treatment, including cost, stigma, culture, resources, etc. I am passionate about advocating for mental health. Many people don’t have the resource, information, or courage to advocate for themselves. It is also important to break the stigma so that people can get help and give help more effectively.
To continue meeting this goal throughout my time at Ohio State, I plan to take more seminars and classes to help me become an effective teacher and role model. I am going to therapy and involved in other programs through Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS). I plan to attend CCS workshops to better cope with my mental health and help others cope with theirs. I will continue to find other opportunities to enrich my academic life beyond OSU classes and requirements.