For Muslim educators, supporting students has always meant more than teaching academic content. Our classrooms and schools are places where young people build relationships, develop their identities, navigate challenges, and learn what it means to belong to a community grounded in faith.
That makes educators an important part of the network of caring adults surrounding our youth—and knowing how to recognize and respond when a young person may be struggling matters.
National data underscore the need. The CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 40% of U.S. high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 20% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 9% attempted suicide during the previous year.
For Islamic schools and learning communities, these findings raise an important question: How can we recognize when a young person may need help and respond in ways that are informed, compassionate, and grounded in our Islamic values?
Equipping Muslim Educators with Practical Skills
In Summer 2026, the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA) partnered with Khair Collective to offer Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training from an Islamic Perspective, providing Muslim educators with practical tools to recognize and respond to mental health and substance-use challenges among young people.
The certification training included six hours of live instruction, along with required pre- and post-coursework, giving participants opportunities to learn, discuss, practice, and apply what they were learning.
A central component was ALGEE, the Mental Health First Aid action plan. Rather than asking educators to become therapists or diagnose students, the framework helps adults recognize signs of concern, listen without judgment, provide appropriate reassurance and information, and encourage professional and other supports.
Participants consistently identified the opportunity to practice those skills as one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
“Going through scenarios and practicing the steps of ALGEE.”
— Jihan A.
Evangelina R. similarly shared that applying ALGEE to different scenarios helped reinforce the learning and prepare her for real situations. Reflecting on the course, she added:
“I wish I had taken it before. It will help me in my work as a middle school teacher and youth director in my community.”
— Evangelina R.
Learning with Dr. Ali Syed and Khair Collective
The training was led by Ali Syed, DO, Community Educator & Outreach Coordinator and a founding member of Khair Collective. A physician specializing in psychiatry, Dr. Syed brings a community-based, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approach to mental health care, with a focus on empowering and supporting people experiencing behavioral health challenges.
Participants appreciated both his expertise and his ability to connect the material to their work with young people.
“Dr. Ali is a person who walked the walk and it is evident he is passionate about his work. He was very respectful with responses from his students and was able to connect to real world examples.”
— Abeer S.
Khair (“Care”) Collective began with a group of college friends motivated to give back to their communities by sharing their experiential knowledge and professional expertise. Today, the registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit provides education around physical and mental well-being, as well as mental health support services including peer support.
At the heart of its work is a commitment to seeking purpose and meaning through service and helping others grow mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually—an approach that made Khair Collective a natural partner for this ISLA training.
Resources for Muslim Educators
The learning does not have to end with the training. We encourage Islamic school educators, administrators, counselors, youth leaders, and others supporting young people to explore and share these resources.
Youth Mental Health Data
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023 provides national data on the health behaviors and experiences of U.S. high school students.
Suggested citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.
Find Muslim Therapists and Counselors
- Muslim Mental Health Directory
- SEEMA Mental Health – Find a Therapist
- Khalil Center
- Naseeha Mental Health
Wellness, Peer Support & Practical Learning
- SAMHSA — Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness
- SAMHSA — Value of Peers
- How to Help a Grieving Friend: The Animation
- Brené Brown on Empathy
- Panic Attack — Training Video
- Psychosis — Training Video
Bring Mental Health Learning to Your School or Organization
Khair Collective provides its mental health resources, workshops, and trainings free of charge to communities. Offerings can be provided virtually or in person; for in-person programming, travel-related expenses apply.
Schools and organizations interested in providing additional mental health learning for educators, staff, families, or their broader communities can connect directly with Khair Collective to explore available trainings and offerings.
Use the contact form on Khair Collective’s website to learn more about virtual or in-person opportunities.
Khair Collective also welcomes inquiries from those interested in becoming instructors in Youth or Adult Mental Health First Aid, learning about becoming a Certified Peer Specialist, or potentially providing faith-integrated peer support as a Certified Muslim Peer Specialist.
Continue Learning with ISLA
This training is one of the many ways ISLA supports Muslim educators with high-quality professional learning designed for the realities of Islamic schools and learning communities. Through partnerships with organizations like Khair Collective, we can connect educators with specialized expertise while creating opportunities to learn alongside colleagues who understand the unique contexts in which they serve.
To preserve the interactive nature of the Youth Mental Health First Aid experience, each ISLA x Khair Collective cohort is limited to just 30 participants. Educators complete six hours of live sessions plus required pre- and post-coursework to earn their Youth Mental Health First Aid certification.
Interested in joining a future cohort? Check the ISLA Events page for the next training opportunity and other upcoming professional learning opportunities for Islamic school educators and leaders.
We are grateful to Khair Collective, Dr. Ali Syed, and the educators who invested their time in this summer’s training.
Together, we can continue strengthening the networks of care surrounding Muslim youth and building learning communities where students are known, supported, connected, and cared for—academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, insha’Allah.
