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11/29/2016 02:00 PMAfter the shooting at Sandy Hook in 2012, many communities were forced to take a hard look at their own ability to deal with a crisis—especially Clinton, where a student in the community died three weeks before the incident. Marie Pinette of Clinton Youth & Family Services and then-superintendent Jack Cross were examining youth mental health providers when Sandy Hook happened, heightening the need.
“We had a crisis here in town where there was a death of a student in the community and we had a bunch of folks that were offering to help out,” said Pinette. “You don’t know who’s qualified—they have good intentions, but are they the best person for that circumstance?”
In other words, it’s great to have volunteers willing to help out, but much better when those volunteers are highly qualified individuals trained for the job. To guarantee not just volunteers but skilled volunteers, Pinette and Cross—and later current superintendent Maryann O’Donnell—helped implement a training program, Youth Mental Health First Aid, in Clinton.
The eight-hour state education program focuses on prevention. Participants learn risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, the importance of early intervention, and how to help an adolescent in a time of need. It addresses mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, ADHD, substance use disorder, and more.
The program’s focus is on kids aged 12 to 18, so Pinette started by asking herself who in the community has the most contact with that age group. As a result, members of the school community, Scout leaders, pastors, and a few parents were invited to take the training. Despite the program’s costs—$50 to $75 per person—Pinette also worked hard to make sure that the price tag never became a factor for those involved.
“We didn’t want [the cost] to be in the way, so we started getting really creative with how are we going to get this funded,” she said. “Because we’ve gotten funding, we’ve been able to charge $10 as a placeholder for registration or it’s been free. We don’t want money to be something that interferes with people’s desire to get the knowledge.”
Grants helped in part, as did funds contributed by local organizations such as Living Rock Church, Partners in Community, Middlesex United Way, and more. The Board of Education sponsored a training for 25 people. St. Mary’s Church sponsored another training for 20 people; it also facilitated the program and promoted it to parishioners. Today, slightly less than two years since the Youth Mental Health First Aid program was implemented, more than 100 individuals in Clinton have completed the training.
“It’s been a real community effort,” said Pinette. “We have 103 people in the town of Clinton who are really integral in the community.”
Community members who’ve earned the program’s three-year certification include pastors, youth group leaders, Scout leaders, teachers, parents, nurses, librarians, representatives of the Hispanic community, coaches, and even 19 high school students. The very first training, held in January 2015, centered on the religious community. The most recent training, held at the Clinton Police Department, certified five members of the Fire Department as well as five police officers.
“We’ve been able to target different sectors with different trainings,” Pinette noted.
As for whether the training sessions are effective, “Within two weeks of doing the first one, I got a call from one of the parents,” Pinette said; the parent told her that her daughter who’d been certified was already putting the knowledge to work.
Program participants aren’t expected to have a clinical background. They are simply people who are likely to be in the right place at the right time to prevent a situation involving youth mental health from escalating. Part of Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches participants to look to the general safety of those involved; another part teaches how to provide accurate information to emergency responders. Although Clinton may seem a sleepy suburban town at times, Pinette said it’s important to remember that Sandy Hook was, too.
“There so much anxiety, there’s so much kids are struggling with,” said Pinette. “It’s so hard growing up without some of the complications that kids are dealing with. I think no matter how small a community is, this is really critical information for folks in the community to have.”
Already, with more than 100 individuals in the community looking out for our youth, it seems the program has met with success.
“I see these 103 people as a huge resource to our youth in the community,” Pinette said.
However, the effort is ongoing. Although no trainings are currently scheduled, if enough members of the community express interest, Clinton Youth & Family Services will set up another training for them.
“We definitely want to know if folks are interested,” Pinette emphasized.
To learn more or to express interest in the Youth Mental Health First Aid program, call Clinton Youth & Family Services at 860-669-1103.