VHBG celebrates 1,000th Youth Mental Health First Aid student
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On May 19, officials at Virginia Home for Boys and Girls celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month along with a milestone: serving their 1,000th student through the teaching of Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops.
Since 2017, VHBG has held more than 50 of the free, eight-hour workshops for the community. The workshops are designed for adults who regularly interact with youth, from parents, grandparents, child care workers, teachers and school staff to coaches, social workers, church and youth group leaders, and hospital staff.
On hand for the celebration – complete with showers of confetti – was Janet Kelly, senior advisor to the governor and a former secretary of the commonwealth. Kelly spoke briefly about the governor's "Right Help, Right Now" plan for behavioral health care and its alignment with Youth Mental Health First Aid goals, then helped to cut and serve a congratulatory cake to workshop participants.
Workshops continue monthly, with June 23, July 21, and Aug. 11 among the upcoming dates. For details and to register, visit https://vhbg.org/youth-mental-health-first-aid-workshops/.
