Selected to Present at the 2025 Mental Health America Conference!

We’re excited to share some big news—Our Minds Matter (OMM) has been selected to present at the 2025 Mental Health America Conference, Turn Awareness Into Action, happening October 16–17! Out of hundreds of submissions, OMM’s proposal was chosen among the top 4%, and we can’t wait to take the stage alongside leading experts, changemakers, and mental health advocates.

About the Session: Putting Teens in the Driver’s Seat

The youth mental health crisis has persisted for too long—suicide is still the second-leading cause of death for adolescents aged 10–14 and the third for those aged 15–24 (CDC, 2024). With a growing shortage of mental health professionals, dwindling government funding, and strained school resources, many young people—especially those in underserved communities—are left without the support they need.

Our current mental health system isn’t meeting the needs of our youth. It’s time for a new approach—one that starts with young people at the center.

In our session, we’ll explore how putting teens in the driver’s seat through peer-to-peer, mental health programming can spark real, sustainable change. OMM empowers students to lead a movement that builds connection, resilience, and a culture that prioritizes mental health—long before a crisis occurs.

What You’ll Learn

A firsthand account from an OMM student leader, who will share how this work has transformed their own well-being and empowered them to lead change in their school
How peer-to-peer support strengthens protective factors like social connection, positive coping skills and help-seeking behavior
Ways to integrate youth-led programming into your school or community’s mental health strategy
Practical tools for co-designing scalable, student-centered solutions that ease the burden on the overstretched school system

This session is for anyone looking to build meaningful, youth-powered strategies into their mental health promotion and suicide prevention work.

We’re honored to represent OMM at this national event—and even more excited to be joined by Mental Health America’s Youth Policy Advocate Award winner, Jasmin Goodwin, who will also be featured during the session.

Jasmin is a graduating senior at School Without Walls HS in the District of Columbia Public Schools, and she proudly serves as the President of Penguins Minds Matter (OMM club at Walls) and a member of the OMM Team Advisory Council (TAC). A little bit about Jasmin: She is a passionate dancer, singer, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Custom Royalty Crochet, a crochet business based in the DMV area.

Although she is a senior, she has an unwavering commitment to health advocacy for all, especially those who feel silenced or misunderstood. As a member of the OMM TAC council and the broader school community, she hopes to continue serving as a leader and change-maker in the lives of others.