Education to Support Adolescent Mental Health BACKGROUND Adolescent mental health concerns- including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation- are increasingly recognized as significant health concerns in schools. Secondary educators are uniquely positioned to observe early signs in students; however, many report feeling underprepared and lack necessary information and resources to address these issues effectively. 1,2 • Nearly 20% of youth are affected by mental, emotional, or behavioral challenges. 4 • Approximately 40% of high school adolescents are at increased risk for suicidal ideation. 4 • Evidence-based training improves educator confidence and student outcomes. 1,2 • Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for creating sustainable mental health support systems in schools. METHODS This project utilizes Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model as a guiding framework to implement sustainable change in secondary school mental health education. 3 The following deliverables were created to ensure a comprehensive approach. • Letter to the Stakeholders • Brochure for the Workshop • Pre and Post Assessment Tool • Course Agenda • PowerPoint Presentation on Supporting Adolescent Mental Health: Seminar for Secondary Educators • Educator Tool Kit • Timeline REFERENCES 1. Parker, B. L., Chakouch, C., Subotic-Kerry, M., Batterham, P. J., Mackinnon, A., Newby, J. M., Whitton, A. E., McGoldrick, J., Cockayne, N., & O'Dea, B. (2021). The building educators' skills in adolescent mental health training program for secondary school educators: Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(2), e25870-e25870. https://doi.org/10.2196/25870 2. Sánchez, A. M., Latimer, J. D., Scarimbolo, K., von der Embse, Nathaniel P., Suldo, S. M., & Salvatore, C. R. (2021). Youth mental health first aid (Y-MHFA) trainings for educators: A systematic review. School Mental Health, 13(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-020-09393-8 3. Kotter, J. (2022). Leading change. New Business Age. https://go-galecom.hal.weber.edu/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=ogde72764&id=GALE%7CA712070632&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&aty=ip 4. NIH. National Library of Medicine. (2022). Child and adolescent mental health. 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK587174/ 5. Melnyk, B. M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. Jennifer Pearson, BSN, RN, MSN Student Jamie Wankier Randles, EdD, MSN, RN Melissa Fox, MEd-EdL INTERVENTIONS The following steps were taken to implement this project: • Developed an educational workshop focusing on adolescent mental health interventions and both risk factors (family history, screen time, bullying) and protective factors (goal setting, resilience). 1 • Stakeholder engagement to secure support from administration, counselors, nurses, and community partners 2. • Interdisciplinary collaboration with administrators, educators, school counselors, and nurses to ensure multiple perspectives are integrated into the training. 2. • Interactive components include case studies and group discussions to improve classroom strategies. 1,2 • Evaluation using pre- and post-assessment surveys to measure the improvements in educators’ confidence and competence. IMPACTS • Potential impacts with increased educator confidence and improved ability to identify mental health signs and symptoms. • Improved educator skills can lead to more timely referrals to mental health professionals, and potentially lower rates of severe mental health episodes. • This project has expected long-term outcomes to reduce the mental health crisis among adolescents with a protective school environment. • Continual monitoring and training are necessary for sustaining long term benefits beyond the initial workshop. • This project can serve as an example for other schools or districts, to expand the impact on a larger scale. 1,2,4 CONCLUSIONS Relevant picture, graph or data set goes here Empowering secondary educators through structured, evidencebased workshop in adolescent mental health is a critical step in addressing the growing concerns regarding adolescent mental health concerns. This MSN project not only bridges a critical knowledge gap but also gives teaches practical tools and confidence to identify risk factors, protective factors, and concerns to then intervene appropriately. By collaborating with administrators, educators, nurses, and mental health professionals, this project can improve student mental health outcomes. Improving faculty development creates a foundation for educators to be more open and compassionate towards students, and more capable to prevent further mental health concerns in the future.1-5