SWWC instructor on why she is trained on teen mental health first aid
You, too, can get trained! Email Sarah Wilczynski at sarah.wilczynski@trinity-health.org for more information.
submitted by Sarah Wilczynski, Chelsea Hospital, Mental Health Awareness & Training
In the spring of 2023, Chelsea Hospital released the “Why I’m Trained” campaign, highlighting people in the hospital service area who had taken mental health training to learn how to support their friends, family, and community. Since that time, the Mental Health Awareness and Training (MHAT) program has trained an additional 518 people and expanded offerings to local teens.
The fall of 2023 marked the beginning of the first Teen Mental Health First Aid (TMHFA) cohort, which trained 40 students in the South and West Washtenaw Consortium (SWWC) Health Science program including Manchester High School students. This provided teens and young adults with mental health education, the tools to help those who may be struggling, and the necessary encouragement to connect with trusted adults.
Since then, the SWWC Health Sciences program has implemented TMHFA as part of their curriculum and offers the training to their students every year.
“The TMHFA program has a lot of moving parts that require coordination among multiple people,” said Sarah Wilczynski, the MHAT program coordinator. “Being able to bring this program to the SWWC Health Sciences program each year shows the level of commitment our local organizations have to mental health.”
To explore this commitment even more, Wilczynski sat down with Dawn Welt, the SWWC Health Sciences Instructor, to take a deeper dive into why she’s trained, and why she wanted to bring TMHFA into her curriculum.
Q: Dawn, why are you trained?
Dawn: I am trained because knowing how to help is just as important as wanting to help.
Q: Why did you want to bring TMHFA into the Health Sciences program?
Dawn: I want to be part of the momentum in educating the caregivers of the future on the necessity of treating the whole person. Even more importantly, I want them to learn how to support each other, their friends, family members, and peers. Life is difficult, stressful, and full of challenges. We all need that person in our life that will be there to support us during our most difficult challenges, and the students that come into my classroom want to be able to help. It is my job to find them the opportunities to learn how to be that lifeline for others, as well as to know when and how to seek out the appropriate help for themselves.
Q: How do the concepts in TMHFA apply to Health Sciences?
Dawn: I feel the healthcare industry must address every aspect of our wellbeing. After being a nurse in the hospital and in the community mental health system before finding my passion in the holistic nature of hospice care, I realized our mental health is just as important as our physical health.
Q: What would you say to young people who may be struggling?
Dawn: You are not alone; we want to be there not to fix you, but to support you. You are enough. You are not broken, worthless, or a failure. Lean on someone you trust, let them be your lighthouse through the storms of life. You are priceless, perfect, and don’t have to do this alone to prove you are worthy. Just know it is a sign of strength to be willing to acknowledge you are struggling and accept help from others.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Dawn: The challenges we overcome in life and the people we allow to support and guide us will be our greatest treasures. It is through these struggles we gain the empathy to be a support and guide for others.
“We are so grateful for Dawn and the passion she brings to educating the next generation of healthcare providers,” said Wilczynski. “We can’t wait to see where this partnership takes us.”
If you’d like to participate in a mental health training this May, visit srsly.org/safehomes to see our upcoming training dates.
For more information about the SWWC Health Sciences Program or the Chelsea Hospital MHAT program, please visit theswwc.org or email Sarah.wilczynski@trinity-health.org.
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