Clark County residents have another opportunity to take a crash course on Youth Mental Health First Aid.

According to Mental Health America,  one in five teens and young adults live with a mental health condition. Also, more than 64 percent of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment and about 5 percent of youth report having a substance abuse or alcohol problem.

To better support youth, Clark County residents can soon take the Youth Mental Health First Aid course, which lasts from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 4 at Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative (CKEC), 231 Fortune Drive in Lexington.

Lunch is not provided, but attendees will have an hour break for lunch.

The deadline to register is May 30.

Contact trainer Angela Bereznak for the registration link: Angelar.Bereznak@ky.gov or 859-744-4482, Ext. 1037. Interested participants can also go directly to the link at https://tinyurl.com/y3t3wgtn.

Youth Mental Health First Aid focuses on increasing mental health literacy; decreasing the stigma of mental illness and addiction; helping participants to learn the difference between signs of typical adolescence (12-18 years old) and mental health problems in adolescents; and providing information about self-harm and suicide prevention.

The eight-hour training also teaches participants how to offer and provide initial help and how to guide the individual(s) to professional help if appropriate.

Bereznak, also the health educator at the Clark County Health Department, and Christina Krantz, an educational consultant with the Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative, recommend teachers, school staff, coaches, camp counselors, youth group leaders, parents and people who work with youth to take the course.

The course also teaches participants how to apply the ALGEE action plan:

— Assess for risk of suicide or harm

— Listen non-judgmentally

— Give reassurance and information

— Encourage appropriate professional help

— Encourage self-help and other support strategies

Participants do not have to pay a registration fee as it is sponsored by the Kentucky AWARE grant.

This training is being offered free of charge by the Kentucky Department of Education through the Project AWARE Grant.

Bereznak said the trainings can be divided into two four-hour days but the days must be within the same week. Trainings are six hours for school personnel.

Bereznak said organizations can schedule a training by contacting her.