Bridging the Gap - Empowering Teachers and Students with Mental Health First Aid

Oct 15, 2026

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Purpose: This paper addresses the critical need to enhance teacher preparedness for managing student mental health by integrating the National Health Education Standards (NHES) with Skills-Based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Results: The NHES framework offers a structured approach to health education, emphasizing comprehensive mental health strategies, and explores integration with revised NHES standards (2025) to improve educator readiness. Conclusions: Practical examples show benefits of a skills-based approach, competency development, cultural competence, and strategies to overcome barriers like time constraints, limited resources, resistance, and the need for administrative support and ongoing professional development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Understanding the NHES Framework

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Teachers and Students with Mental Health First Aid Authors: Elena Saldutti, PD, MA Instructional Assistant Youth Mental Health First Aid USA Instructor Montclair State University 1 Normal Avenue Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 Telephone: 973-655-4000 Email: [salduttie@montclair.edu](salduttie@montclair.edu) Joseph Donnelly, PhD Professor of Public Health/School Health Education Youth Mental Health First Aid USA Instructor Montclair State University 1 Normal Avenue Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 Telephone: 973-655-7119 Email: [donnellyj@montclair.edu](donnellyj@montclair.edu) Mary Connolly, CAGS, MEd Program Chair, Skills-Based Health/SEL Cambridge College/Bay Path University 500 Rutherford Avenue Boston, MA 02129 Telephone: 781-901-1734 Email: [connolly_mary@hotmail.com](connolly_mary@hotmail.com) Judy LoBianco, MA President/CEO of HPE Solutions, LLC 22 Coastal Drive Neptune City, NJ 07753 Telephone: 732-618-8933 Email: [judy@hpesolutionsllc.com](judy@hpesolutionsllc.com) Michele Pilon, BA National Trainer and Instructor, Mental Health First Aid 18843 SE 269th Covington WA 98042 Telephone: 253-259-7342 [Email: Michele.pilon@yahoo.com](Email: Michele.pilon@yahoo.com) ABSTRACT Purpose: This paper addresses the critical need to enhance teacher preparedness for managing student mental health by integrating the National Health Education Standards (NHES) with SkillsBased Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Results: As the demand for effective mental health support in schools rises, the NHES framework offers a structured approach to health education, emphasizing comprehensive mental health strategies. By incorporating the recently revised NHES standards (2025), we explore how these guidelines integrate into MHFA training to better equip educators with essential skills and improve overall teacher readiness. Conclusions: We provide practical examples and demonstrate the benefits of a skills-based approach. The paper also examines the development of key competencies and highlights the importance of cultural competence when addressing diverse student needs. Additionally, it analyzes common challenges such as time constraints, resource limitations, and resistance from educators, and proposes strategies for overcoming these barriers, including administrative support and ongoing professional development. Recommendations: Ultimately, integrating NHES with MHFA training proves to be vital when creating a supportive learning environment and effectively addressing the growing mental health needs of students. Keywords: teacher preparedness, student mental health, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) INTRODUCTION The need for effective mental health education is underscored by the alarming increase in mental health issues among children and adolescents. Mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, have been rising steadily, with significant consequences for young people’s well-being. These issues existed before the COVID-19 pandemic but have escalated in recent times, making mental health the leading cause of disability among young people, and recent statistics reveal a troubling escalation. From 2011 to 2021 , there was a 50% increase in highschool students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011–2021, 2023) . Suicide, the third leading cause of death among high schoolage youths, saw a 57% increase in rates from 2007 to 2018 (Kochanek et al. , 2023) . In 2021 alone, there were nearly 2,000 suicides among youths aged 14-18 years (Curtin & Garnett, 2023) . These alarming trends underscore the critical need for effective programs to address mental health issues and support young people’s wellbeing. Addressing these concerning trends requires proactive, evidence-based initiatives. MHFA offers one such solution, providing individuals with

FAQs

How does the paper propose improving teacher preparedness for student mental health?

It proposes integrating the National Health Education Standards (NHES) with Skills-Based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training so educators gain practical mental health skills and structured guidance.

What role do the NHES standards play in the MHFA training approach?

The NHES framework provides a structured pathway for health and well-being instruction and supports health literacy across educators’ programs, helping align MHFA content with national standards.

What barriers to implementing the integrated approach does the paper discuss?

The paper highlights time constraints, resource limitations, and resistance from educators, and it recommends solutions such as administrative support and ongoing professional development.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ezra