Our Training
Elevate TeenWorks proposes the Youth Mental Health & Crisis Response Academy, a community-based capacity-building initiative designed to improve behavioral health awareness, early identification of mental health and substance use challenges, and crisis response among adolescents and the adults who serve them. The project will increase community capacity in Prince George's County, Maryland, with planned expansion into neighboring jurisdictions throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. by equipping schools, youth-serving organizations, faith-based organizations, and community partners with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize behavioral health concerns and connect youth to appropriate services.
The primary population of focus includes:
- Adolescents ages 12–18, particularly those attending public and charter schools, participating in community and faith-based programs, and living in underserved communities with limited access to behavioral health education.
- Educators, youth program staff, parents, volunteers, mentors, and other trusted adults who regularly interact with adolescents.
The project will provide evidence-informed training that teaches participants to:
- Recognize signs and symptoms of common mental health and substance use disorders.
- Respond safely to behavioral health crises and reduce stigma.
- Apply trauma-informed communication techniques and understand suicide warning signs.
- Distinguish when to contact 988 or 911 and connect youth to appropriate resources.
Programming will also strengthen youth resilience, emotional regulation, leadership, communication, and help-seeking behaviors through interactive instruction and scenario-based learning. While Elevate TeenWorks does not provide clinical treatment, the project strengthens community capacity to identify concerns early and promote timely referral to qualified behavioral health providers.