Martinsburg, WV: Grant $ for raising mental health awareness in schools/teacher training

Mar 10, 2018, Martinsburg (WV) Journal: Mental health awareness effort hits area schools http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2018/03/mental-health-awareness-effort-hits-area-schools/ Some are calling mental illness a silent epidemic — especially among children –and schools are working to spread awareness and help students. … Up to one in five kids living in the U.S. shows signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. So, in a classroom of 25 students, five of them may be struggling with the same issues many adults face, from depression to anxiety. Whether treated or not, children still attend school. The struggles they face can be directly linked to major problems found in schools like chronic absence, low achievement, disruptive behavior and dropping out, experts said. … Ledford added mental health education should be more prevalent in schools. … Recently, steps have been made in Berkeley County to implement mental health resources for educators and families. Project AWARE, a grant program implemented in 2016, is designed to help state and local education agencies increase awareness of mental health issues among school-age youth. It is also designed to train educators and other youth-serving adults in “Youth Mental Health First,” so they may detect and respond to mental health issues, as well as connecting children, youth and families who may experience behavioral health issues with appropriate services. …