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Tosa schools battle mental illness stigma | New program offers training to those seeking to help

Waukesha NOW (WI) - 10/29/2015

When a high school athlete breaks his arm, he walks down the hallways with a cast and "everybody says it's really cool," said Fred Robinson, Tosa United coordinator for the Wauwatosa School District.

Equally, when a classmate is home sick with the flu, they'll receive well-wishing messages from friends at school.

But when a student is battling mental health issues, there's often nothing but silence, Robinson said.

A new initiative in the school district, called Project TEAMS: Tosa Early Awareness of Mental Health Supports, strives to break down the stigma of mental illness by training a fleet of 360 adults throughout the community with the tools to recognize symptoms of mental illness in youths ages 12 to 18 and take action.

"Mental health issues manifest early in high school years," Robinson said.

The district's new program spurs from a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The program stretches nationally, too; Now is the Time - Project AWARE grew out of President Barack Obama's 2013 call to action following the deadly shooting in Newton, Connecticut, in December 2012. As a response to the tragedy, congress appropriated funds to the SAMHSA for implementing mental health first aid.

While mental health hasn't been a major concern in the Wauwatosa School District, school officials are choosing a forthright approach to be proactive.

"We've been lucky here in Wauwatosa. Things have been pretty good from a mental health standpoint," Robinson said. "But, to be realistic, you just never know."

About the training

Training will officially kick off in January and the first trainees will be adults who work in the school district, said Liz Krubsack, a program coordinator. But since the new program is a community effort, those who work directly with youth are eligible to participate, too, she said. Boy Scout or Girl Scout leaders, church youth leaders, medical personnel, food service or coaches could all be good candidates for the free 8-hour training sessions as they usually have connections with children, Krubsack said. She added the training will be comprised of role playing and interactive activities. Assessing risk, listening non-judgementally, giving reassurance and encouraging help and self-help internal strategies will all be part of the training, she said.

General changes in behavior, lack of interest in doing things they usually love, and not connecting to people they were connected to before are all common indicators for youth with mental health illness.

"The idea is it will help reduce the stigma associated with mental health disorder," Krubsack said of the training. If a trained community member does encounter a student with substance abuse or mental health issues - whether the youth approached them first or not - the program has partnered with a number of agencies for referrals.

The agencies include Aurora Behavioral Health Service, Family Options Counseling, LLC, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Rogers Memorial Hospital and the Wauwatosa fire, health, police and recreation departments, among others.