Youth Health

Extension is working with state, regional, and local partners to ensure youth have the tools they need for their health and well-being. Our programs:

Help youth build skills to improve emotion regulation and cope with stress
Teach adults how to identify and support youth experiencing a mental health challenge or is in crisis
Empower youth to address mental health and well-being in their communities
Build community capacity to work together in addressing community health

Extension Programs

For Adults | For Youth

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach caring adults how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.

Who should be trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid?

Mental Health First Aid?
Teachers
School staff
Coaches
Camp counselors
Youth group leaders
Parents
People who work with youth

Youth Mental Health First Aid is a one-day training and can be delivered online or in-person. Sign up for one of our current classes. Or request a Youth Mental Health First Aid training.

Learn more about Youth Mental Health First Aid

Mindfulness Enhanced Strengthening Families Program

Mindfulness Enhanced Strengthening Families Program is an evidence-based substances use prevention and skills building program. Mindfulness Enhanced Strengthening Families Program brings parents and their youth ages 10-14 together in interactive sessions to improve parenting skills, build life skills in youth, and strengthen family bonds.

Contact Larissa Duncan for more information.

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer)

These three steps can help anyone learn how to save a life in a potential mental health crisis. QPR trains community “gatekeepers” to recognize warning signs of a potential suicide crisis and how to intervene and help. A gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis or the warning signs that someone may be considering suicide.

Contact Jen Park-Mroch jenniferpark@wisc.edu or your local Extension Office for more information.

Nutrition Education

Extension’s FoodWIse program advances healthy eating habits, active lifestyles and healthy community environments for families with limited incomes. FoodWIse educators teach parents how to buy, plan and prepare healthy meals and engage families with limited resources in support of choosing healthy diets while stretching food dollars. FoodWIse also supports communities in making the healthy choice the easy choice were people live, learn, work, play and worship.

Contact a local FoodWIse team member to learn more.

Extension Resources

Supporting You(th)

A series of fact sheets for parents, caregivers and other adults who live or work with young people. Each fact sheet is research-based, easy to read, and provides practical strategies to support youth mental health. They are available in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping Educational Tools & Resources

Feel better informed and equipped to help young people understand the dangers of e-cigarettes and overcome the temptation and effects of vaping.

Current Crises’ Impacts on Youth Mental Health

Youth mental health has been a growing concern in Wisconsin and beyond for some time. The pandemic and resulting changes to people’s lives are a new factor in youth mental health. This eleven page research document examines youth mental health and makes recommendations for how to address youth mental health resulting from COVID and racial injustice.