The Duke Endowment awarded the Eastern Area Health Education Center (AHEC) $197,000 to provide in-depth training to school nurses and other school personnel on child and adolescent mental health topics. The Endowment has indicated its intent of awarding additional funds over the next two years for a three-year total of $588,000. Subsequent funding will depend on the success of the first-year grant objectives, which include appointing an advisory committee with representatives from schools, universities, AHECs and state agencies; conducting a needs assessment; identifying and contacting school faculty to participate in the training; developing a pilot curriculum on school mental health topics; and designing a statewide delivery process through the AHEC system to reach schools throughout the state.

"School nurses, counselors, social workers, psychologists, school resource officers, and other staff are in need of additional support and training in meeting the mental health needs of our youth today," said Stephen E. Willis, M.D., Eastern AHEC executive director. "Through this program, we hope to increase the skills of these individuals while also training a base of school personnel who can continue this training in subsequent years. We want these skills and this assistance for students to become an integral, ongoing part of the school system.

"Eastern AHEC staff members Helen Brinson, Director of Nursing Education, and Debbie Caton Rogers, Director of Mental Health Education, are the primary investigators for the grant program. A project director and a program assistant will staff the project. The project director is Keith Letchworth, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA Sociology) and North Carolina State University with a Master of Education in Adult Education. Mr. Letchworth has 30 years of experience in developmental disabilities and mental health. During the past thirteen years, he directed numerous grants from both governmental and private sources. He also has a variety of experience in schools and other children's educational settings, and is a committed trainer and educator. He can be reached by email (letchworthj@ecu.edu) or phone 252.744.3531.

During the three-year period, Eastern AHEC will expand its newly developed and piloted mental health curriculum through its AHEC counterparts throughout the state along with establishing and offering on-line, distance learning courses. Overall, the program plans to provide approximately 200 school nurses and other staff with in-depth training on child and adolescent mental health topics, enroll at least 300 individuals in regional workshops, and offer web-based education and on-line library resources.

The curriculum will address, minimally, the following child mental health topics: suicide, crisis intervention, eating disorders, anxiety/panic disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance abuse and emotional effects caused by trauma, child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse.