Benguet: At least 245 public school teachers in Benguet will undergo a six-month training program to become mental health first responders and coaches as part of efforts to strengthen psychological support for students.
According to Philippines News Agency, the provincial government of Benguet and the Department of Education-Benguet have partnered on the program, which will prioritize teachers from large or central elementary and secondary schools and integrated schools. Carmel Meris, officer in charge of the DepEd-Benguet schools division superintendent, stated that teachers are often the first to respond when students experience psychological distress.
"The training will help teachers recognize warning signs and provide proper response protocol and immediate intervention or support before the situations get worse," Meris said in a message.
The program will cover 245 teachers from the province's 430 public schools across 14 districts. It will run for six months in four phases: orientation and onboarding; training and coaching; certification and school deployment; and monitoring and continuing support. Meris mentioned that the training will provide teachers with practical psychological first aid strategies to help them respond to students and fellow teachers experiencing crises.
The program will be implemented by BRYCE Consulting Services under the AnchorED 1M Movement. The training will be trauma-informed, culturally responsive and evidence-based, with participants receiving certification as mental health coaches. The provincial government allocated PHP2 million for the program, while a donor provided PHP1.5 million, bringing the total project cost to PHP3.5 million.
The memorandum of agreement among the provincial government, DepEd-Benguet and the private service provider was signed ahead of the program's scheduled launch in September. Gov. Melchor Diclas said the initiative aims to build a stronger school-based support system and equip teachers to recognize and respond to mental health concerns.
"Education must go beyond academic achievement and include the mental and emotional well-being of students," Diclas said in a social media post. "The partnership with DepEd SDO-Benguet and the service provider will help foster safer and more caring schools where learners feel heard, understood and supported."
Diclas, a physician, mentioned that the program is intended to help create a safer and more supportive environment for learners.
