The YAM program is spreading across the world and the need for qualified YAM Instructors is on the rise. But what identifies a good YAM Instructor and how do you become one? In this interview, Niklas Andersson, Training Director at Mental Health in Mind, answers these questions while also sharing some of his favorite YAM moments.
What do you do at Mental Health in Mind (MHiM) and with YAM?
I am responsible for activities related to training and education. So it is a broad position ranging from everything about program content, to training of Instructors and Trainers, to materials used at any level of YAM (with youth, Instructors, and Train-the-Trainer). A lot of my time is typically taken up by YAM Trainers and their tasks.
How long have you worked with YAM?
I started quite a while ago so not really sure haha, but I would say the beginning of 2015. That is when I got involved in an update of the program material. Later that year I got the opportunity to become an Instructor, as part of the pilot in the big study that was about to be conducted in Stockholm. After that I was hooked…
You speak about YAM Trainers and YAM Instructors, but what is the difference between the two?
This can be a little confusing if you are not familiar with the program and its implementation. The YAM Instructor is the individual that conducts the program with youth, so carrying out YAM in classrooms in schools. A YAM Trainer on the other hand, is someone who trains Instructors. The Trainers are always seasoned Instructors to begin with, and are recruited by us at Mental Health in Mind in collaboration with the local YAM site.
So for everyone who is interested in becoming a YAM Instructor – what can they do?
Becoming a YAM Instructor always happens within the framework of a local implementation process, meaning in a structured way with a centralized oversight of the implementation. Typically a governmental agency, a region or municipality, a university or a non-profit is the entity responsible for implementation, so the best way if one wants to become an Instructor is to contact a local YAM site and take it from there.
Thank you for clarifying! So it all starts with a bigger organization implementing the YAM program, and then individuals can become a YAM Instructor?
Exactly. There are many reasons for this, one important being the well-being of the youth and safeguarding procedures, there needs to be systems in place locally, and therefore individuals can’t do YAM without being part of a structured implementation.
And what would you say are great qualities in a YAM Instructor?
A good Instructor is someone curious and genuinely interested in the lives of young people and someone who is good at being non-judgmental allies to all youth. It is also important to be able to quickly set a foundation of trust with the young people in the room, and make sure that the safe space is upheld. Instructors should also trust young peoples’ abilities to reflect freely and make choices that will benefit their mental health and they should feel comfortable allowing youth to be in charge of topics or lead the direction of discussions, sometimes to unexpected places.
Lastly, do you have a favourite YAM moment?
Even though I have had many beautiful classroom moments doing YAM with youth, I must say that one of my favorite moments is the last day of the Instructor course. As a Trainer training new Instructors, the last day of five, oftentimes becomes very memorable. It happens quite often, on that final day, that participants express how the course has impacted them deeply and how they expect to take many of the experiences and learnings with them into their professional work outside of YAM (and even into their personal lives!). That truly feels rewarding and reminds me of the importance around how we work with youth and what kind of change we are aiming for.