A Powerful Community of Empathic Teens

After training 163 students in Teen Mental Health First Aid at a single high school in Fernandina Beach, Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, a certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Nassau County, quickly realized the benefits of offering the nationally recognized curriculum county wide.

Today, every 10th grade student in the Nassau County School District can take the course as part of their regular classwork, thanks to grants from Baptist Health and the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida.

"Each school year, between 850 and 1,000 Nassau County students are enrolled in the training," said Justin Bradshaw, project director of Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare.

Unlike Adult Mental Health First Aid, which trains adults to support other adults, or Youth Mental Health First Aid, which prepares adults to assist young people, Teen Mental Health First Aid empowers teens to provide initial support to their friends and foster a culture of peer support and help-seeking behavior.

How it works

The eight-session course, which is designed specifically for high school students ages 15-18, is held on a weekly basis at all four Nassau County high schools and students can opt out of the training if they don't feel comfortable taking it.

"The classes are 45 minutes long and taught by Starting Point staff," Bradshaw said. "We've found that 90-95% of students are opting into the program."

Checking their mental health pulse

Students receive a workbook that includes activities, games and topics like social media, stigmatizing language and myths surrounding mental health topics.

At the end of every class, students fill out an exit ticket, which is basically a pulse check of their mental wellness. The tickets alert the instructors to any follow-up questions the students may have or if a student needs to be checked on by a school social worker.

"We also measure the students' knowledge about mental health and substance abuse at the beginning and the end of the program," Bradshaw said. "This training helps everyone in the schools realize and recognize the mental health challenges in the students they see in their classrooms every day."

Recently, a Nassau County parent shared that ever since her child took the course, she's noticed a real change in the teen's empathy for others and in her circle of friends. "They're really looking out for each other more," the parent said.

Peer-to-peer support

Kimberly McGee, a suicide prevention manager at Starting Point, said she has seen the impact that peer support -- or lack thereof -- can have on teens.

"Not only do they now recognize the importance of peer support, but they also understand what meaningful support looks like when they need it most," she said. "It's incredibly rewarding to empower students with the knowledge and skills to support one another effectively."

Prior to launching Teen Mental Health First Aid in the classroom, Starting Point instructors trained 90% of Nassau County school district staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid, which became a state requirement in 2023, as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.

“We’ve also trained school staff in Clay County, and they have expressed interest in bringing Teen Mental Health First Aid to their 10th grade students,” Bradshaw said.

“We all want the best for our kids and our community,” said Laureen Pagel, CEO at Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare. “Mental health is one of the pieces to the puzzle that is often overlooked.”

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