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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is a public |
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| 6 | 7 | | education course designed to teach youth in grades 10 through 12 how |
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| 7 | 8 | | to respond when one of their peers is experiencing mental or |
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| 8 | 9 | | emotional health issues; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The development of the course was based on the |
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| 10 | 11 | | finding that teenagers in crisis are more likely to turn to their |
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| 11 | 12 | | peers for help; led by adult instructors, the 270-minute course |
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| 12 | 13 | | informs participants about different types of mental health |
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| 13 | 14 | | challenges and crisis situations and provides them with an action |
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| 14 | 15 | | plan in case someone they know needs support; Teen Mental Health |
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| 15 | 16 | | First Aid was adapted from the Mental Health First Aid program, a |
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| 16 | 17 | | training initiative funded by Texas Health and Human Services; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Instead of focusing on specific illnesses, |
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| 18 | 19 | | participants in the course are taught to identify patterns of |
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| 19 | 20 | | thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are associated with mental |
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| 20 | 21 | | health challenges; teens are also encouraged to seek the assistance |
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| 21 | 22 | | of a trusted adult when necessary; according to a study conducted by |
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| 22 | 23 | | Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, after |
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| 23 | 24 | | completing the course, 35 percent more teenagers reported feeling |
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| 24 | 25 | | comfortable asking a friend if they are thinking about suicide and |
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| 25 | 26 | | taking action to help a friend in need; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Knowing how to reach out to someone in crisis can be |
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| 27 | 28 | | difficult, but it can make all the difference in that person's life, |
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| 28 | 29 | | and the Teen Mental Health First Aid program has earned |
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| 29 | 30 | | well-deserved praise for offering effective, evidence-based |
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| 30 | 31 | | solutions to an issue of urgent concern; now, therefore, be it |
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| 31 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | Legislature hereby recognize the Teen Mental Health First Aid |
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| 33 | 34 | | program and commend all those involved with this important |
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| 34 | 35 | | initiative for their efforts; and, be it further |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 36 | 37 | | prepared for the program as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 37 | 38 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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