Mental health is everywhere, all the time. Changing the culture around mental health is not limited to May; it is a year-round mission.
Throughout the school year – and for over a decade – teen leaders, club sponsors, OMM staff, and dedicated partners have been doing just that: normalizing conversations about mental health, sharing resources, and building the skills young people need to support themselves and one another.
This school year, OMM programs have reached more teens than ever before – over 3,100 directly and more than 60,000 teens through school-wide campaigns. These numbers represent real lives being impacted and change taking root. This impact wouldn’t be possible without OMM student leaders, club sponsors, partners, and supporters who show up and help push this movement forward.
Culture change takes time, and there’s still work to be done. The youth mental health crisis has persisted for far too long—suicide remains the second-leading cause of death for adolescents aged 10-14 and the third for those aged 15-24 (CDC, 2024).
We believe we can do better—and we must. Do you? If so, take action this Mental Health Awareness Month—for yourself, your loved ones, and your community. Let’s keep showing up—together.
How can I take action?
- Use OMM’s month-long mental health calendar designed to support individuals and organizations in recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month through daily, actionable ideas that promote awareness, advocacy, and well-being.
- Invest in teen mental health to help OMM continue working upstream. Equip teens with the tools to navigate challenges so that they know when and where to turn for help in difficult and uncertain times.
- Run a Speak Up, Act Louder campaign designed to encourage teens to:
- Practice supporting a friend who is struggling with their mental health
- Learn practical tips for what to say when you want to be there for a friend
- Improve peer-to-peer support skills across the whole student body
Visit this link to download the resources and learn more. Or, share the link with a young person in your life — anyone can run the campaign, whether their school has an OMM club or not.
- Get your Be There Certificate to increase your mental health literacy and gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to safely support someone struggling with their mental health.
- Know and get familiar with mental health resources, so you know where to turn or connect others to in times you need help.
Together, we can save lives.
