Camp Mental Health Certification 2.0
Camp Mental Health Certification 2.0 was published in April 2022, as LEAD's first hybrid Mental Health Certification. This course serves as the two-hour, self-paced and online component of a camp professional's four-hour certification in CampMHC 2.0.
LEAD's Camp Mental Health certification (Camp MHC) is the world's first early intervention course tailored to a summer camp and outdoor recreation setting. Camp MHC 2.0 is the blended-learning version of CampMHC, designed to empower camp counselors and staff to complete half of their learning before arriving at camp and half their training in person with a LEAD-credentialed instructor.
About Camp MHC
CampMHC introduces camp counselors and staff to the risk factors, warning signs, and prevalence of mental illness in adolescent campers. Through interactive discussion, role-play activities, and an ABC action plan, LEAD empowers camp professionals to respond to signs and symptoms of mental illness in non-crisis situations and to connect campers to appropriate professional support in crisis situations. Read CampMHC’s agenda and post-course data and watch an animation to learn about the research that inspired CampMHC.
Participants Are Empowered To:
- Recognize the difference and relationship between mental health and mental illness at camp.
- Promote camper mental health and model proactive self-care strategies for campers.
- Apply a three-step action plan to both crisis and non-crisis mental health situations.
- Connect campers and camp professionals to camp-based, self-help, and professional resources.
Participants do not learn to diagnose or provide therapy or counseling.
How is it Different from Youth Mental Health First Aid? Topics related to mental illness and unique to the camp community, such as medication vacations, homesickness, and social media withdrawal, are also introduced to participants in a 4-hour, rather than 8-hour format. By the end of the course, each participant leaves with a personal toolkit featuring tangible self-care strategies to promote mental health in their own lives and in the lives of other campers and staff. This means that LEAD will empower participants to maximize their camp’s existing mental and physical health resources, many of which are likely being paid for and grossly underutilized.
Additionally, yMHFA is more focused on empowering participants - often youth themselves - to support other youth in their camp community, rather than their own mental health at camp. If yMHFA is provided for leadership staff, LEAD strongly recommends pairing it with CampMHC for all other camp counselors and staff to ensure everyone knows how to set appropriate workplace boundaries, prevent burnout, and avoid developing compassion fatigue over time.
Become an Instructor
LEAD’s 100% online Camp Academy is also available for enrollment on LEAD’s Learning Lab.
The Camp Academy is LEAD's official train-the-trainer program for camp directors and professionals. After completing the 25-hour, self-paced Camp Academy, participants are eligible to become LEAD-credentialed Camp Mental Health instructors.
As an instructor, you are capable of and are empowered to certify camp counselors, staff, and administrators, in their camp communities in Camp Mental Health.
Your Instructor
Kyrah J. Altman's story of social entrepreneurship began at nine years old. As a result of growing up in a broken home, she began experiencing severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in middle school. While mental illness followed her throughout adolescence, she channeled her struggle into the founding of a social enterprise called Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do (LEAD), Inc.
In 2016, Kyrah won $32,500 of seed funding in the George Washington University New Venture Competition as the only competing college female and freshman student. Since 2012, Kyrah has been featured in the New York Times, on three national television stations, and was named the nation's 3rd best student entrepreneur by the EO Global Student Entrepreneurs Award.
Today, Kyrah is the CEO and co-founder of LEAD, Inc. Since its founding, LEAD has transformed into the industry leader in mental health education in the United States. Altman resides in her home state of Massachusetts to be near her younger siblings. She travels the world, speaking about the impact of social entrepreneurship on trauma survivors, the importance of proactive mental health education in schools, and the idea that "while not everyone has a mental illness, everyone can improve their mental health."
Course Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
DISCLAIMER: By registering for this course, you understand and agree that LEAD, Inc.’s courses are supplementary only and in no way replace present workplace training processes. LEAD, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever for fully and completely teaching you, which obligation rests solely with you or your employer. You will indemnify LEAD, Inc. from any action, suit, or proceeding based upon any allegation that you have not been properly or adequately trained.
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