We’re honored to announce that OMM has joined The Mental Health Coalition as an official member. The coalition is made up of the most passionate and influential organizations, brands, and individuals working to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to change the way people talk about and care for mental illness. Our Minds Matter is one of two new organizations to join the coalition, along with Black Girls Smile.
Since our founding in 2012, we have been guided by a vision of a world where no teen dies by suicide. This vision inspired our network of teen-led mental health clubs in schools, and today, we are thrilled to join forces with other mental health organizations that are working in other capacities to change the landscape of mental health. Together, we can end the devastating stigma surrounding today’s most prevalent public health crisis.
Below, we have included important events, campaigns, and activities led by other members of the Mental Health Coalition during the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. We’d love for you to join in any one of these activations so that our shared vision can become a reality.
REVEAL HOW YOU FEEL
MHC is excited to kick off MHAM with our REVEAL HOW YOU FEEL challenge! Through this effort we hope to encourage people to reflect, validate and share their range of emotions. Mental health advocate, influencer and icon Michelle Visage, helped us kick off this challenge with a video she shared today encouraging people to be their authentic self! Check out Michelle Visage’s Reveal How You Feel Challenge.
We hope you all join us. To do so head to MHC Instagram, click the template here and select your own photos/videos from your camera roll to match the voice prompt. In your caption name that this is the #RevealHowYouFeel challenge, tag @mentalhealthcoalition and invite @mentalhealthcoalition to be a collaborator.
These videos complement an educational landing page that provides information on how to understand emotions and how emotions can guide our decision-making process and influence behavior. This landing page provides tips from our members on how to validate feelings, and regulate emotions leading to greater well-being and mental health.
AAKOMA Project – May 16th & 17th/ Virtual Event
Join the AAKOMA Project for our groundbreaking, culturally relevant, research grounded virtual event: Revelations: Uncovering Truths About The Mental Health of Youth of Color. Walk away with valuable insights, solutions and mechanisms to help the Youth of Color in your lives navigate intense feelings and situations effectively and confidently. The event celebrates AAKOMA’s stellar release of their full report recounting the state of mental health for intersectional Youth and Young Adults of Color. They will feature an all-star lineup, clinical, advocacy and research experts and of course our youth!
Registration available here! Follow @dr. alfiee/@aakomaproject for updates!
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line will soon be releasing their United in Empathy report, outlining the trends they saw in conversations across the country in 2022. This report showcases important information around the state of mental health throughout the country.
You can find the report from 2021 here.
Follow @crisistextline for updates!
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
This year, for Mental Health Awareness Month, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders will be bringing to life a 4 part Instagram reel series on navigating mental health told through the voices of 4 different thought leaders they admire within the mental health and eating disorder space. Each part of the series will provide unique insights and perspective on how to navigate the complexities of mental health, particularly in the context of eating disorders. The importance of this series is to provide education tools to empower those in need and to remove the fear and stigma associated with finding help.
Follow @aliancefored for updates on the series!
Trevor Project
National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
The Trevor Project released the annual survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People on May 1st. This report shares the newest data from Trevor Project’s research team and highlights critical insight into LGBTQ+ youth mental health.
Follow @trevorproject for updates!
Child Mind Institute
Building on the idea behind the Child Mind Institute’s #MyYoungerSelf initiative, celebrities and influencers will share stories about the mental health disorders, anxieties, doubts, and confusion of their own youth, or issues they may be struggling with now, along with tips on how they got or get through it. Most importantly, they’ll offer reassurance that help is out there, and that dark days now don’t mean dark days forever. Collectively, the campaign will offer an empowering vote of confidence that “Yes, though things may be hard now, YOU GOT THIS!”
Follow @childmindinstitute for updates and to reshare.
The Steve Fund – May 16th/ 1:00-2:30 PM ET / Virtual Event
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Mabel Terrero Salcedo (LCSW) leads this interactive workshop for young Latinx girls, young women, and nonbinary transfeminine individuals. Participants will learn the importance of mental health, the negative impact of stigma, and societal influences that prevent young women of color from seeking help and care for themselves.
Participants will learn to recognize unhealthy coping strategies, practice positive healing skills, self-regulate, and heal from physical, emotional, and psychological stress and trauma, specifically caused by experiences within their communities, social influences, preparing for the future, living through a pandemic, and being exposed to racial trauma. Practitioners and educators supporting Latinx girls and young women are encouraged to attend as well!
Register here.