Coaches In Colorado To Take Mental Health Course

As a result of the number of teen suicides in Colorado, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) coaches in Colorado will now be required to take a course in suicide prevention and mental health.

According to research done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 31% of high school students reported symptoms of depression and 17% said they seriously thought about suicide.

The bonds between student-athletes and coaches are often strong and coaches are quite often the first person a student turns to for help. It is because of this that CHSAA wants to make sure its coaches are prepared.

The course is designed to help make coaches aware of the warning signs and how and where to report those things as well as knowing how and where to reach out to help a student experiencing crises.

For those coaches who have already taken the 20-minute course, the feedback has been positive.