Indiana: Districts to expand "mental health services"; join in "training to help staff"

Aug 5, 2019, WBIW, Bedford, IN: Central Indiana Schools Participate in Mental Health Training http://www.wbiw.com/2019/08/05/central-indiana-schools-participate-in-mental-health-training/ A number of central Indiana school districts that approved the expansion of mental health services for the new school year are participating in training to help staff spot struggling students. Franciscan Health is one of the agencies hosting what is called QPR — Question, Persuade, Refer — training to schools all around central Indiana. The goal of the training is to make teachers more comfortable talking to kids about mental health so that struggling students can get the help they need. … Experts say the time of thinking that your child is immune from mental health struggles is over. “It is everyone, and that is what is scary. The data is having to go down into like 10- and 11-year-olds because we have kids in elementary attempting suicide,” said Turner…. “Mental health, we can no longer brush it under the rug. We have to address it because it is real,” said Turner. Indiana now requires schools to offer at least two hours of mental health training for their staff members. … can come down to three simple things: “caring, compassionate, and just listen.” Experts say major changes in behavior, anger or hopelessness that may point toward a mental health struggle are a major change in behavior, anger, or hopelessness. …