Pride Saves Lives LGBTQ+ young folks face mental health barriers that their straight & cisgender counterparts do not. According to The Trevor Project’s 2024 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People: 66% of young LGBTQ+ people experienced symptoms of anxiety 53% experienced symptoms of depression 39% seriously considered suicide in the past […]
Our Minds Matter (OMM) was honored to be invited to the World Eating Disorder Action Day Summit at the United Nations on May 31st, hosted by The National Alliance for Eating Disorders (NAED) & The Mental Health Coalition. Eating Disorders are often incorrectly brushed off as “vanity” or “just a diet” and are not centered […]
Our Minds Matter is excited to share our brand new LGBTQ+ Youth Minds Matter initiative: Under My Umbrella! This campaign aims to: Highlight the importance of community for mental health and celebrate the joy the LGBTQ+ community brings to the world! Provide support and education around health, safety, & well-being for LGBTQ+ youth. We hope […]
Hey Grad, Let us be the first to say congratulations on finishing up your high school career! We hope that you’re taking some time to celebrate and soak up all the good energy that can come with big accomplishments. However, we know that this time can come with lots of mixed emotions and for some […]
My Life is Worth Living is the world’s first animated series about teen mental health and suicide prevention. The series includes five powerful stories told over twenty episodes. In each episode, relatable teen characters wrestle with challenges that are all too familiar for many viewers–including depression, bullying, abuse, and trauma–and discover strategies to cope when […]
Danny’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: OVER AND DOUBT After a life-changing accident, sixteen-year-old Danny is struggling to take on new physical and mental challenges. His family is well-meaning […]
Kyle’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: BOTTLED UP With the crowd roaring and the game on the line, 16-year-old soccer player Kyle is in a position to make the […]
Dante’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: DANTE’S DILEMMA To his friends and father, Bruce, Dante is a popular high school football player on track for college and a “respectable” […]
Amie’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: RAY OF HOPE Homework and extracurriculars fill 16-year-old Amie’s hours, and every new task helps her stay positive. When she accidentally damages her […]
Emily’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: FIRST ESCAPE A painful secret has been haunting Emily for months. She’s managed to keep it from her mom, but now mom’s going […]
Happy Pride Month! Pride is a wonderful time for LGBTQ+ folks to celebrate their identity and community, and a good time for aspiring allies to show their support. It’s also an important time to talk about LGBTQ+ mental health. According to the Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health 2021, 75% of […]
Our Minds Matter is so excited to announce a brand new training brought to you by the Born This Way Foundation (BTW) and Jack.org — the Be There Certificate! We are also honored to share that we worked closely with the BTW team to bring you a collaborative activity guide as a follow-up to the […]
OMM was honored to host our first in-person teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training at Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington, DC last month! tMHFA is a course brought to you by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Born This Way Foundation that teaches teens in grades 10-12 how to identify, understand, […]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and while awareness is great, we think we can all go a little further and take action. Which is pretty perfect because May 19th is Mental Health Action Day! So why not turn the whole month into mental health action? We recognize and celebrate the fact that you are […]
We could all use a little extra love these days, so let’s throw it back to February for this week’s Club Feature! Marshall Minds Matter from Falls Church, Virginia hosted a Share the Care week for their whole school during the week of February 14th-17th. “Valentine’s Day and the theme of love were large inspirations […]
Words of affirmation are words that communicate respect, love, and appreciation for another person or oneself. Atom Minds Matter from Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia learned how important words of affirmation are and how much they can impact someone’s day, so they decided to share some with the whole school! One club leader shared: […]
For those of us in the mental health movement, the term “trauma” is not a new one. However, some of us may not know that there is a type of trauma brought on by big events that can affect entire societies called “collective trauma,” and it causes a ripple effect that impacts us all uniquely. […]
Eating disorders are one of the most common mental disorders, affecting over 30 million Americans. They have the 2nd highest mortality rate of any mental illness and can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, ability, and socioeconomic status. There are many disparities regarding the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, including the fact that […]
It’s always the season for self-care! Oakton Minds Matter from Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia hosted a Holiday Cookie Decorating Event in December for students to unwind and have some fun. They partnered with the cooking club at their school, the Cooking Cougars, who baked all the cookies for the event. Look at […]
Throughout the month of January, Our Minds Matter is offering three virtual self-care sessions to provide a time and space for everyone- students and school staff alike- to be human. Returning to school for the new year can be stressful for anyone, and combined with the added distress caused by the current Covid-19 surge, we […]
Sometimes, promoting and making your OMM club accessible to all requires some tech savviness! Parkview Minds Matter from Lilburn, Georgia, created a Weebly page so that members and interested folks can easily see all relevant club information. In addition to listing meeting dates, the Parkview leaders also wanted to make sure anyone visiting the page […]
Madison Minds Matter showed off their OMM pride at their Homecoming Parade at Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. Student leaders reached out to their school’s SGA to sign up to walk in the parade, and then promoted the walk on their MMM Instagram and on their Schoology to reach as many folks as possible. […]
Our Minds Matter is committed to uplifting communities that experience oppression and marginalization, and part of that commitment is amplifying culturally competent mental health resources. The Latin American and Hispanic community is not a monolith – instead, it is full of dozens of unique and beautiful cultures, each with their own histories and stories. About […]
School can be stressful. And sometimes, we all need a place to decompress. The students and staff at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia definitely understand that, so their Rams Minds Matter club created the Calm Cafe! The Calm Cafe is a place for students to go when they need a safe, calming space. It […]
Our Minds Matter (OMM) is pleased to announce our newest partner, Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line provides accessible and free 24/7 support for people shouldering anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, or anything in between. How it works: Texters send a message with the word “MIND” to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. at […]
This past Sunday, we closed out the school year at the Our Minds Matter Spring fundraising event, where we celebrated the resiliency and accomplishments of OMM students and clubs. The OMM Thrive Brunch included an inside look at OMM’s growth and impact, special break-out sessions where attendees could engage with student leaders, and the announcement […]
This month, May 2021, marks the first-ever Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The AAPI community is comprised of many rich cultures, and each deserves to be respected and celebrated. However, this past year has been especially difficult for many AAPI folks as we have seen an increase in anti-Asian racism, violence, and discrimination. […]