Last year, Clinton High School principal Jerry Wayne announced his staff had secured a rare opportunity for their students to participate in a mental health first aid training that teaches students how to interact with their peers who are going through tough times and need someone to talk to or direction for help.

Wednesday on the WHOW Morning Show, Wayne told Regional Radio News, his students are in the thick of that training. He feels the lessons have been excellent for their kids and in some cases, challenging.

Wayne feels the training is giving their kids the tools to make observations about their friends and peers and be able to reach out and approach them in a caring way.

Heritage Behavioral Health Center has been the primary partner for the high school in this endeavor and Wayne gives them a lot of credit, noting they probably could not have made this program possible without their support.

Like any program mandated on students, some will be very willing participants and others not so much. Wayne says that is a trend he has seen but gives his students credit overall for their buy-in to the training.

Wayne indicates they break their students down into groups of 20-30 students and they rotate trainers to make sure they are getting a good balance with the people leading the lesson. 

The program will wrap up in the early part of February.