by on You must first complete Sacred Work: Welcome and Grounding before taking this course.
Understanding Youth Mental Health grounds participants in a clear, shared understanding of youth mental health. This course builds practical vocabulary, examines current trends and myths, and explores how mental health is shaped by community, culture, and systemic realities. Participants will engage data, lived experience, and interactive learning to reflect on their own assumptions and strengthen how they show up for young people in the communities they serve.
Learning objectives:
- Build vocabulary around youth mental health
- Develop awareness of current mental health stigmas, trends and myths
- Consider and reflect on what has influenced your understanding of mental health
Here’s what you can expect:
Learn shared language
Learn current definitions, statistics, and shared language for youth mental health.
Learn about stigmas & myths
Learn about myths and stigmas in communities of color that impact BIPOC youth.
Spectrum Statements
Participate in a spectrum statement activity to consider what your understanding of mental health experiences are.
Course Lessons
Sacred Work: Mental Health, Justice and the Call to Care for BIPOC Youth
Supporting the mental health of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) youth is not only necessary—it’s deeply important work that sits at the intersection of biblical justice, faith, and community care.
This course is designed for youth workers, educators, faith leaders, and community advocates who want to deepen their understanding and practice of culturally responsive care for BIPOC youth navigating mental health challenges.
Participants will engage in interactive learning, reflection, and skill-building to explore how systemic injustice, cultural identity, and personal experiences shape the mental health realities of young people. Through activities like spectrum discussions, case studies, mindfulness exercises, and personal reflection, we will unpack how mental health is expressed across cultures and how youth distress is often misunderstood or overlooked.
Topics include:
– Understanding youth mental health terms and trends
– Exploring how racial trauma, oppression, and identity impact mental wellness
– Learning to recognize and respond to signs of distress with cultural humility
– Practicing responses using tools from Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
– Reflecting on personal and collective sustainability in youth work
– Navigating the intersection of faith and mental health
A certificate of completion is available to participants completing the coursework.