“I think the peer-led discussions really break down walls and break down any stigma that surrounds mental health.” 

This quote from OMM Teen Advisory Council member and Vice President of Rocket Minds Matter at Richard Montgomery High School, Nushrat Zaima, sums up the importance of centering youth-led initiatives in youth mental health care. 

On Wednesday, October 29th, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) hosted the Montgomery County Mental Health Summit: “Elevating Community Solutions for Youth Behavioral Wellness.”  This summit brought together mental health providers, leaders in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) psychological and student wellbeing services, nonprofit leaders, and crisis intervention specialists. In addition to these esteemed professionals, we’re proud to share that the teen voice was represented by OMM student leader Nushrat Zaima, who served as Youth Keynote Speaker.

Interviewed by CareFirst Behavioral Health Program Manager Ashley Johnson, Nushrat spoke to the necessity of peer-led initiatives in schools because they allow teens to speak candidly with each other about mental health. This not only normalizes these discussions but also serves as a vital outlet for teens who cannot broach the subject at home with their families: “Schools are the only safe space for some teens, and peer-led activities from Our Minds Matter can create that space.” Nushrat also credited her Our Minds Matter club as the reason that she and her peers learned that there are mental health professionals in MCPS school buildings they can seek support from—an important sign of increased help-seeking behavior. Lastly, Nushrat gave some insight into what adults can do to better support teen mental health: “Ask teens what they need, don’t just do what adults think they need.”  While demonstrating bravery and passionate advocacy, Nushrat did just that by amplifying the youth voice in this conversation about youth wellbeing.

Some key takeaways from other panelists that shine light on the importance of peer-led initiatives include:

• An emphasis on the importance of upstream prevention and universal intervention to reduce the number of teens who need crisis support. This can lessen the burden on crisis and mental health treatment providers, who are experiencing staffing shortages and burnout on a large scale.
• Teen-led mental health programs can also serve as a pipeline to strengthen the behavioral health workforce and reduce staffing shortages by igniting a lifelong passion and showing teens what career pathways exist for them.
• And, as OMM always says, we are all just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to solving the youth mental health crisis. By convening folks from across the industry like CareFirst did for this event, opportunities for collaboration become endless. There are so many of us in this movement, and we are all stronger together. 

Our Minds Matter is deeply honored that Nushrat was featured at such an inspiring and action-oriented event. We are grateful to CareFirst for collaborating with us to ensure that the teen perspective was central to the narrative, and for organizing an incredible summit. We are proud to partner with MCPS, as we have since 2019, to implement our student-led clubs in 30+ middle and high schools in the county. 

Interested in learning more about our work? Check out our 2024-2025 Impact Report now.

Want to hear more directly from Nushrat? Listen to a snippet of her words below!

A special thank you for supporting Our Minds Matter in Montgomery County Public Schools goes to Adventist Healthcare; the Healthcare Initiative Foundation; The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation; the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA); Kettering Family Foundation; The MATTIE Fund; Rosendin Foundation; Van Metre Companies; The Wolpoff Family Foundation; and our supporter community of mental health champions like you.