National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW)
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) are proud to work together to provide Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) trainings to Girl Scout council staff and troop leaders, supporting our Girl Scout staff, volunteers, and youths across the Movement.
YMHFA is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to identify, understand, and respond to an adolescent (ages 12–18) who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis.
Beginning in Summer 2022, Girl Scouts will embark on a national effort to train local council staff leaders as certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructors. By preparing Girl Scout council leaders across the country to lead local YMHFA trainings, we will equip council staff, troop leaders, and volunteers with vital information to better support youth mental well-being and address common youth mental health and substance use challenges.
GSUSA is grateful to The David and Lura Lovell Foundation for their support in providing YMHFA Instructor trainings to Girl Scout staff.
About the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Founded in 1969, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of nearly 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults, and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental well-being as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, we have trained more than 2.6 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
