Photo by toms river schools
Photo by Toms River Schools

Toms River Teachers Complete First Aid Certifications, Mental Health Training

Posted by
1 min read
March 6, 2024

TOMS RIVER, NJ—Staff members from Toms River Regional Schools’ three high schools have recently completed their First Aid certification, focusing on mental health. The certification, achieved during a professional development day on February 16, comes through a partnership with RWJBarnabas Health.

The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) program, alongside the Teen Mental Health First Aid (MFA), aims to enhance the district’s mental health initiatives significantly. A press release announced the programs, highlighting their importance in advancing district mental health awareness and intervention efforts.

The YMHFA program educates participants on recognizing and responding to mental health and substance use challenges in children and adolescents aged 12-18. The district staff started with web-based training and completed their certification during a recent professional development session.

Cara DiMeo, Assistant Superintendent of Toms River Regional Schools, emphasized the program’s value. “This is an awesome opportunity for us to provide teens with the appropriate education needed to recognize signs of distress in their peers and to direct them to trusted adults who can gain them quick access to resources,” DiMeo stated, noting that tMHFA acts as a vital supplement to health class instruction.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss