Editor’s note: This article is the third in a series by the Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative examining possible solutions to an ongoing mental health crisis among youth. This project is supported by a grant from the nonprofit Solutions Journalism Network.

Doña Ana County offers free training to parents and professionals who work with kids

LAS CRUCES – Sure, if you see a kid get sick after being stung by a bee, or even a student appear pale and clammy and feverish during the course of a day, there’s a good chance you know what to do.

Blood? Nausea? Swelling? Heck even the sight of a broken bone? The odds are many

adults, especially those who work closely with kids, have received some sort of training or education of what steps to take if they see a child in any of these emergency situations.

Two words come to mind: “First aid.”

But what if you see or suspect a kid is suffering from a mental health crisis? Is there “first aid” for such dilemmas?

It may come as a surprise to some, but the answer is: “Yes.”

Amid an ongoing mental health crisis among youth nationwide, plenty of parents, caregivers, teachers and others who work with kids are left wondering how they can support the young people in their lives. And local advocates are equipping adults with tools to help by offering free Youth Mental Health First Aid courses in Las Cruces.

Doña Ana County hosts free classes

In 2017, Doña Ana County Health & Human Services in Southern New Mexico, received a $127,875 Nuestro Emociones Grant from The Paso del Norte Community Foundation in El Paso. The funds are used to provide mental health first aid classes to help both kids and adults.

The classes, which last about eight hours, are free of charge to members of the public, thanks to the grant.

The sessions are conducted once a month, and class sizes have averaged about 8 to 10

people. Residents must be at least 18 years of age to participate. 

According to Ariana Luna, a mental health awareness educator with the Doña Ana

County Health & Human Services Department, the classes teach the public how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance-use challenges.

The children and youth classes often draw teachers, educators and other professionals who work with kids, but they are open to any adult. In fact, one of the participants in the October class was a man who described himself as a grandfather who wants to better relate to his grandchildren and help be on the lookout in case they ever exhibit signs of needing help with their mental health. 

Help needed early on in life

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, half of youth suffering from mental health disorders show signs at or before age 14. But just 7.4 percent of youth, though, have had any mental health intervention by that age. The federal government has classified most of Southern New Mexico as a mental health provider shortage area, meaning there aren’t enough professionals like counselors and psychiatrists to meet the population’s needs. Yet, childhood is a crucial time to identify and treat mental health conditions, according to experts.

“Early intervention is always best,” psychiatrist Dr. Larry Zamora said.

Zamora, who oversees 22 facilities for Las Cruces Public Schools, and school counselor Melissa White, conducted the county’s Mental Health First Aid training in October.

White pointed out, just as with other types of first aid where you don’t need to be a doctor, paramedic or other health pro to help, you don’t have to be in the mental health field to provide first aid.

“It’s about assessing and leading the person and helping the person,” she said. “You don’t have to be the therapist.”

While participation has increased since the classes began in 2021, the county hopes to

continue to attract more participants. Through ten months of 2024, the county reports it has seen about 100 people enroll and participate in the Mental Health First Aid training classes for children and youth. 

COVID leaves lasting impact on youth

Zamora and White both said that, even though years have passed since schools reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic, many kids are still negatively affected by the experience. 

“We haven’t been through a pandemic before,” Zamora said. “More students are being evaluated for Special Education than before.”

White said elementary schools are seeing high numbers of students starting school with a lack of developmental skills.

“More kindergarten kids are showing up not potty trained, for example,” she said.

Zamora said before COVID, schools would have one or two students with impulse control disorders, if any. 

“After COVID, every school has a handful,” he said.

Learning to recognize a crisis

If you take a Mental Health First Aid class, you’ll be provided with a manual and a

workbook. Sessions will include watching multiple videos on a big screen. Via slideshow presentations, your instructors will walk you through a plethora of data about mental health situations and the crisis among youth.

After several ice breakers and a discussion on why the class was needed – there’s a strong need for mental health support for youth in Southern New Mexico – the instructors began with the message that all adults need to be on the lookout for signs of mental health distress in children and youth.

They then followed up with lists of signs to look for before going into more detail about each sign. These discussions were interspersed with videos of teens talking about real mental health-related situations they experience.

The videos were very helpful, but more time would have allowed for more examples of each of the signs and appropriate responses. One longtime teacher in attendance, though, said she really appreciated the audio-visual aspects of the course.

In addition, slideshow presentations and discussions will also be used by the instructors to teach you important skills like:

• How to recognize the signs of mental health problems with children and youth

• How to tell the difference between “normal” youth moods and an actual

mental health crisis

• What steps to take if you recognize a problem or potential problem 

• What help is available

Reviewing real-life situations

Expect your instructors and even fellow participants to discuss real-life situations they have faced, talk about what steps were taken, and whether there was a success. 

You can expect a lot of questions and interaction.

Sure, this topic could probably be extended out several days, but the instructors pack a lot of information, guidance and hands-on work into an eight-hour training session. Participants were prompted to relate stories and experiences and to ask many questions. And they were given opportunities to get out of their seats and write ideas on posters to compare thoughts and answers.

Multiple participants said they enjoyed the format because it kept them engaged while learning.

Luna, the mental health awareness educator for the county, said attendees fill out surveys about the course afterward. While responses can vary, “for the most part the training is very well received.”

“Usually, the most response we receive about the course is that people find it very helpful especially with learning how to identify signs and symptoms for mental health and substance use challenges,” she said.

While the participation is growing, the classes are reaching a relatively small percentage of adults in the area. In 2023, Doña Ana County’s population totaled about 225,200 with about 22 percent being youth under the age of 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The sessions taking place on weekdays likely exclude many working parents who might be interested in attending.

Sometimes, the county offers classes in Spanish and will partner with other organizations to host sessions, according to Luna.

Funding stems from grant

The mental health first aid sessions are for adults, including everyday members of the public, who wish to assist children and youth. Trainings are usually offered monthly at the Doña Ana Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces.

Call 575-525-5870 or email MHFA@donaanacounty.org for more information or to register.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation, which funds the classes, reports that it “leads, leverages and invests in initiatives, programs and policies that promote health and prevent disease in the Paso del Norte (Borderland) region.”

The foundation says it wants “to ensure that the people in our binational, tri-state region

have the knowledge, resources, support and environment to live happy, healthy and productive lives.”

The same year the foundation awarded Doña Ana County the money, it also provided 83 other Nuestro Emociones Grants, worth a total of about $9.1 million to public and private organizations in southern New Mexico, the El Paso, Texas region and the Juarez, Mexico area. Grants were awarded in the areas of: Healthy Eating and Active Living Programs; Tobacco and Alcohol Prevention Programs; Mental Health and Emotional Well Being Programs; Healthy Kids Programs; Health Leadership Programs.

Brook Stockberger is a freelance journalist in Las Cruces who’s working with the Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative to cover important issues in the region.

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For info on Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings in Doña Ana County:

• Call 575-525-5870 

• or email MHFA@donaanacounty.org