HELENA — Teens from across Montana are learning how to handle situations involving people who are struggling with behavioral and mental health.
"I had some friends who have felt kind of suicidal, and I didn't really know what to do," said Breahna Dean, who is participating in the weeklong camp.
On Tuesday, they learned what to do in the case of an accidental overdose.
(Watch to see how Montana teens are preparing to recognize and help peers facing a mental health crisis.)
"I thought it was really cool," she said. "It was kind of freaky at first because I didn't know what was going to happen."
Simulation in Motion-Montana hosted Tuesday's training, which showed high schoolers what signs to look for in the case of an overdose, how to administer Narcan, and ways to start having difficult conversations with their peers.
"It's really heartwarming to see the compassion and the willingness to be able to start talking about it," said Amber Olson, a simulation specialist with Simulation in Motion-Montana.
The camp is through the South-Central Area Health Education Center's Head's Up program, which is free for participants thanks to a grant from the Office of Public Instruction.
The director of South-Central Montana Area Health Education Center, Katie Glueckert, said, "It's career exploration, so it's a week of activities just showing them what is available in behavioral health."
Instructors ran through the simulation twice, once while they were in the room and once while watching from cameras.
"If we're there and we're present in the room, sometimes they can kind of fall back and rely on us," Olson said. "It really decreases that realism."
The high schoolers will receive Teen Mental Health First Aid Certification training through the camp, giving them tools to address the struggles that many Montanans face.
"I think that it helps when people are struggling to have somebody there that can help them," said Audrianna Ray, another participant.
Applications for the camps typically open in January, and you can find out how to apply here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
