Mental Health First Aid to Promote a Culture of Care in Higher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Embodied Learning for Holistic Development (Table 8)

Abstract

Students are grappling with declining mental and emotional well-being because of limited access to resources and deep-seated cultural and familial stigmas. Timely intervention is crucial to prevent prolonged distress. There is a need for practical training to provide culturally sensitive support and destigmatize mental health challenges. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training equips participants to identify signs and symptoms of mental health challenges. The intersection of education and mental health is a pivotal point for intervention. This proposal evaluates the effectiveness of the California State University (CSU) MHFA training through 4-year narrative case studies and training data. MHFA has enabled faculty, staff, and administrators to actively participate in students’ mental health challenges and become allies of mental health professionals.

Author

• Sailesh Maharjan, California State University - San Bernardino