Youth Mental Health First Aid Quick

Guide
This guide is a quick reference designed to aid members of the community who work closely with youth
and young adults by laying out the foundation of how
to assist a young person who may be developing a
mental health problem or mental health crisis. Mental
Health First Aid is defined as a method used to teach
parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school
staff, peers, neighbors and health and human services
workers the knowledge they need to help an adolescent who is experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis. This information is provided by the
Youth Mental Health First Aid training course.

Contents:
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Action Plan (ALGEE)
How to Communicate Effectively
with Young People

Emotional Crises Emergency

Resources:

Mental Health Challenges and

Disorders Fast Facts

24/7 Life Crisis Hotline:

410-749-HELP (4357)

Signs that a Young Person May

be Suicidal

MD Youth Crisis Hotline:

1-800-422-0009
Help4MDYouth.org

How to Talk to a Young Person

who is Suicidal
Signs that a Young Person is Engaging in Non-suicidal Self-Injury
How to Talk to a Young Person
who is Deliberately Injuring

Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

1-800-273-8255
1-800-799-4889 (TTY)
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
PRMC 24 Hour Hotline:
410-543-7160

Trevor Lifeline LGBTQ

Community:
1-866-488-7386
www.thetrevorproject.org
Eastern Shore Operations
Center (mobile crises, urgent,
emergent and referral):
1-888-407-8018
Veterans Crisis Line:
1-800-273-8255 (Press 1)
www.veteranscrisisline.net

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID ACTION PLAN

A
L
G
E
E

Asses for risk of suicide or harm

Listen nonjudgmentally
Give reassurance and information
Encourage appropriate professional help
Encourage self-help and other support strategies

How to Communicate Effectively with Young People:

Be genuine
Be careful about using slang: use
language you are comfortable with.
Youth will notice when you are using
words you are not used to.
Allow for silence: allowing youth to
have a silent moment will give them
time to form their words.
Try different settings for communication to see what works best.
Do not compare the young persons life with your own experiences from that age: the world is
constantly changing. New opportunities mean new challenges.
Do not trivialize the young persons feelings: wondering what a
young person has to be depressed or
anxious about implies that their life
experiences are less valid just because of their age.

Page 2

Do not ask the

Watch your body

Provide positive

young person to
justify or explain
their behavior:
young people often
act without thinking
about the consequences and then
realize it was wrong
later. Talk about how
the behavior could be
avoided next time.

language: you are

silently communicating that as the
adult, you are the
expert. Display a relaxed body language
(keep your palms out,
sit alongside and angled towards the
young person, keeping your voice calm.

feedback and
look for and
acknowledge the
youths
strengths.
Help them find
the language
they are looking
for: ask questions
such as, Are you
feeling sad, angry or
frustrated?

Signs that a Young Person May be Suicidal:

Threatening to hurt or kill themselves
Seeking access to pills, weapons or other means
to kill themselves
Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide (in
schoolwork, creative writing and artwork)
Expressing hopelessness, no reason for living or
having no sense of purpose in life
Displaying rage, anger or seeking revenge
Taking reckless risks, seemingly without thinking
Feeling trapped
Increasing alcohol or drug use
Withdrawing from friends, family or their community
Having dramatic changes in mood
Having unstable sleeping patterns
Being anxious or agitated
Giving away prized possessions

How to Talk to a Young Person who is

Suicidal:
Tell the person that you are concerned and
that you want to help
Express empathy for what they are going
through
Respect their culture by considering issues
such as
- Eye contact
- Physical space
- Language
- Your role and relationship with the
person
State that thoughts of suicide are common
and that help is available to discuss these
thoughts (this may stimulate a sense of hope)
Tell the young person that thoughts of suicide do not have to be acted on
Encourage the person to do most of the talking if they are able to. Suicidal thoughts are
often a plea for help. This is an opportunity
for them to talk about their feelings
Youth Mental Health First Aid USA is perfect because it gives
community members, friends, and coaches an opportunity to
better understand what mental health is, what some of the
common diagnosis are, and how to respond to youth who might
be experiencing a crisis. - Brian Masselli, Youth Development
Consultant

How to Talk to a Young Person who is

Deliberately Injuring:
Signs that a Young Person is Engaging in
Non-suicidal Self-Injury:
Cutting, scratching or pinching their skin (enough
to cause bleeding or a mark that remains on the
skin)
Banging or punching objects or self to the point
of bruising or bleeding
Ripping and tearing their skin
Carving words or patterns into their skin
Interfering with the healing of wounds
Burning their skin with cigarettes, matches or hot
water
Pulling out large amounts of hair compulsively
Overdosing deliberately on medications when it
is NOT meant as a suicide attempt
Changing eating or sleeping habits
Having frequent accidents
Tattooing or body piercing excessively

Approach the person in a supportive and nonjudgmental way

Be calm and avoid expressions of shock or anger
Express your concern for their well-being
Ask if you can do anything to alleviate the distress
Ask them if medical attention is needed
Respect their culture by considering issues such
as
- Eye contact
- Physical space
- Language
- Your role and relationship with the
person
- Express your concerns with their parent,
caregiver or family member in a calm and
reassuring manner

Page 3

Mental Health Challenges and Disorders Fast Facts :

Disorder/ Challenge

Definition

Signs and Symptoms

Major Depressive Disorder

The most severe and most disabling

form of depression.

Bipolar Disorder

People will have episodes of depression, episodes of mania and periods

of normal mood in between.

Lasts for at least two weeks. Affects peoples ability to carry out daily activities.
Unable to have satisfying relationships
with others.
Increased energy and over-activity, elevated mood, need less sleep than usual, irritability, rapid thinking and speech, lack of
inhibitions, grandiose, delusions and lack
of insight.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Long-term anxiety across a whole

range of situations, interfering with
a persons life.

Panic Attack

A short period of extreme anxiety.

Panic Disorder

Recurrence of panic attacks.

Phobic Disorders

A person who avoids or restricts

activities because of fear.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Excessive fear or worry about being

away from home or apart from a
parent or caregiver.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD)

Feelings of great distress after a

traumatic event (involvement in
war, accidents, assaults, terrorist
attacks, mass shootings, war and
severe weather events).

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A person who experiences obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Overwhelming, unfounded worry about

things that may go wrong or their inability
to cope with things such as health, money, appearance, schoolwork, sports and
other regular activities. Symptoms occur
more days than not, for at least six
months.
Notice of sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear or terror.
Notice a recurrence of sudden onset of
intense apprehension, fear or terror. For
at least one month, the person is persistently worried about future panic attacks
and their possible consequences, such as
fear of losing control or having a heart
attack.
Persistent, excessive and unreasonable
fear of specific places, events or objects
and often avoids them completely.
Reluctant to leave home without their
loved one or to be left alone. They may
refuse to go to school because of fear of
separation.
Re-experiencing the trauma through
dreams, flashbacks, intrusive memories or
unrest in situations that bring back memories of the original trauma. May avoid
things associated with the trauma. May
show increased emotional distress in the
form of irritability, jumpiness, outbursts
of rage and insomnia.
Signs of obsessive thoughts include recurrent thoughts, impulses and images that
are experienced as intrusive, unwanted,
and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety. Signs of compulsive behaviors include
washing, checking, repeating, ordering,
counting, hoarding or touching things
over and over.

Disorder/ Challenge

Definition

Signs and Symptoms

Anorexia Nervosa

A person who is underweight and

uses extreme weight-loss strategies.

Bulimia Nervosa

Regular episodes of eating unusually

large amount of food followed by
any behavior that compensates for
binging.
A person who has regular episodes
of eating an unusually large amount
of food in a short period of time
and continues to eat beyond the
point of feeling comfortably full.

Dieting, fasting, over exercising,

using diet pills, diuretics or laxatives
and vomiting.
Purging, fasting and excessive exercising.

Binge Eating Disorder

Psychosis

The person has lost some contact

with reality.

Schizophrenia

Changes in mental function in which

thoughts and perceptions become
disordered.

Substance Abuse

The repeated use of a substance or

substances.

Substance Dependence

When an individual continues to use

a substance despite significant substance-related problems.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder (ADHD)

When one displays inattention, over

activity, impulsivity or a combination of all.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

(ODD)

A pattern of defiance, disobedience

and hostility toward authority figures such as parents, teachers and
other adults.

Conduct Disorder

Aggressive behaviors.

Binges occurring at least twice per

week during a period of six months
or more. Person will often feel disgusted, distressed, ashamed or
guilty.
Disruptions in thinking, emotion
and behavior. Affects relationships,
work and school. Self-care can become difficult to maintain.
Delusions, hallucinations, thinking
difficulties, loss of drive, blunted or
inappropriate emotions, social withdrawal.
Difficulty in fulfilling responsibilities
at school, home or work. Everyday
tasks are physically hazardous (ex:
driving). Involved in legal problems.
Recurrent social and interpersonal
problems.
Tolerance, withdrawal, compulsive
use.
Difficulty paying attention to details,
easily distracted, difficulty finishing
schoolwork, putting off anything
that requires sustained mental effort, disorganized and prone to
making mistakes and appearing not
to listen when spoken to or follow
through on given tasks.
Repeatedly losing temper, arguing
with adults, refusing to comply with
requests or rules, annoying or spiting others, blaming others for their
own mistakes, being angry, resentful, stubborn, touchy and easily annoyed.
Fighting, bullying, intimidating, physically assaulting, sexually coercing,
being cruel to people or animals,
vandalism, theft, truancy, early tobacco, alcohol, and substance use
and abuse; and precocious sexual
activity.

Class of FY 2015 Youth Mental Health First Aiders:

Cortney Fronczak - Recreation & Parks Kids Club
Diana Parnell - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
Priscilla P. Timken - Chesapeake Tours and Promotions, Inc.
Susan Cullen - Wicomico High School
Judylynn Mitchell - Wicomico County Board of Education
Ardealia A. Ross - WISE After-school/Summer Program
Janese Weathers - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
Robert Kreiter - SnakeBusters
John Iampieri - Bella Designs
Erin Sheehan - Epoch Dream Center
Joanna Blackmon - Epoch Dream Center
Allie Blair - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
Alicia Zahn - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
David Miles - Parkside High School
Jenny Miles - Parkside High School
Holly Hatton - Wicomico County Board of Education
Lisa Campbell - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
Jennifer Bertrand - Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children
Kimberly Clark-Shaw - Chipman Cultural Center
Celine Pastore - Wicomico Extension Office
Chavonda Carr - Wicomico County Health Department

Information Adapted From the Youth Mental Health First Aid USA for Adults Assisting Young People manual

Youth Mental Health First Aid USA for Adults Assisting Young People 2012 Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Missouri Department of Mental Health, and National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. All rights reserved.
This project is funded through the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children, the Local Management Board for
Wicomico County, with funding from the Governors Office for Children.