Being part of this has been awesome. As a trainer, I get to help people really see the importance of Youth Mental Health First Aid. I am so passionate about this program and I want to be sure that everyone — teachers, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers — has an opportunity to be engaged.

Getting to the 80% mandate took a lot of work. It was tough, I’m not going to lie. But now, adults in every part of our school have the skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of a student experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. And they know how to respond. I believe that is going to make a huge difference in every corner of our school and our community.