by givebackdv | May 16, 2023 | Making an Impact
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Give Back’s Kansas Program Director Katie Latta is actively engaged in breaking the stigma around mental health challenges. The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program is an evidence-based training that teaches the right way to engage with people who may be facing a mental health or substance use challenge and the right steps for getting them help if they need it. As a certified Mental Health First Aid trainer, Katie has been training Give Back staff and many of our partners in this important program. Research shows that this type of early intervention can play a huge role in helping people get the help they need. “When I first started working with High School students at Give Back, I was afraid I would say something wrong. I wanted to learn how to be comfortable talking with students and make sure I was prepared to help if needed. I learned the simple act of showing someone that you care how they feel is very valuable. ”
“As a mental health first aider, we are trained to ask questions, show that we care, and then encourage both self-help and professional help, if needed.” Katie first found the Mental Health First Aid program when she joined Give Back in 2018 and was looking for help making the transition from working with adults to working with High School students. She learned that helping students successfully complete high school and prepare for college takes more than focusing on academics, it became clear to her she needed to take more of a holistic approach, including a focus on mental health. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to invest the time and energy to become a certified trainer. “Mental Health Challenges have affected me, my family, and many of our students. During [the pandemic] I saw mental health challenges increase in these groups and realized the importance of reducing the stigma around talking openly about our mental health. Katie decided to teach MHFA because, “I want people to not hesitate to ask someone how they are doing and then take the time to listen.
Many adults worry that they could cause harm or offend someone by saying the wrong thing. The training teaches people how to use the proper language and provides experience in getting comfortable with talking about mental health. And, while we leave the diagnosing up to the professionals, the training also teaches the signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges, and how to differentiate between crisis and non-crisis situations. Katie has already trained the majority of the Give Back staff to become Mental Health First Aiders and is now making the training available to our partners. Katie is also looking into additional training that would allow her to train Give Back students and alumni how to listen to and help each other. Who should take Mental Health First Aid? Katie says, “Everyone should become MHFA certified. Mental Health First Aid mirrors traditional first aid or CPR training, by teaching an action plan and the steps to take to get someone help. You hope you never have to use it, but it’s important to know what to do, especially if someone is in crisis.” For more information and to find a class near you visit https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
by givebackdv | Feb 25, 2021 | Making an Impact
There are scholarships. There are mentoring programs. Give Something Back is both. Since 2003, Give Back has grown from one county to seven states. Our staff from three regions recently discussed best practices, collaboration, and the encouragement of organic growth of mentoring programs at the 2021 National Mentoring Summit. The presentation detailed how to adapt regional mentoring and scale a scholarship model nationally.
At the beginning, our scholarship was only for students who attended Lockport High School, our founder’s alma mater. On average, roughly a dozen students were able to benefit from the scholarship in the early stages. In 2012, our College Partner Program model was developed, offering a significant upfront capital contribution of $1 Million in exchange for 150 seats that paid for tuition, fees, room and board for 4 years for Pell-eligible students. While this is a large donation, it does not actually pay for all the costs. Our partner colleges match our contribution and fill the tuition gaps. Why? Because we mentor our scholars throughout high school and prepare them to succeed in college. The model allowed us to create more college pathways, but it also allowed us to expand from one high school in one county to multiple states.
Our program and model have changed over the years. We found it crucial to adapt to meet the diverse needs of each of the regions we work in. For example, our mentoring program’s focus in the Midwest is to provide students with a mentor who has graduated or is in the process of completing college. Mentors are asked to communicate at least twice a month and commit to a relationship throughout high school with their mentees. In contrast, in the Mid-Atlantic, we form partnerships with CBOs and High Schools with vital mentoring programs and we recruit from these programs. Our high school and CBO partners host monthly mentor meeting both to support our scholars and allow them to form the bonds to support each other. Give Back staff develop a monthly mentor curriculum for these meetings and one staff member attends the mentoring sessions every few months.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, we were devastated and placed in a position to adapt once more. We continued to offer events and our time in a virtual environment. Our first step was to provide virtual office hours for our students. This occurred twice a week and allowed our students to “drop-in” to talk with staff and each other. In the fall semester, we also scheduled one-on-one video meetings with high school students. Overall, communication has increased with our students. We added additional student resources online and adapted the application process for a virtual environment.
We aim to continue changing lives with our program. But, when we look to what is next for Give Something Back, we think of our students. Having helped more than 1500 families over the years, we know that we can do more. We want to continue to expand and potentially modify our program to increase our student population. We are looking to other states, finding like-minded partners, and learning as much as possible to assist, support and guide. We want to look at other avenues of success for our scholars, whether trade school, community college, or a 4-year degree.
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To view our entire presentation, check it out on YouTube.
