Empowering Youth Mental Health: Insights from Team Changing Minds
July 25, 2024
When it comes to mental health advocacy, there’s a need for tailored support to address the unique challenges faced by specific communities, including Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) youth. One organizational collaborative that is stepping up to this...
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Give Teens Permission to Talk About Mental Health
October 26, 2023
I first heard about teen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) late summer of 2018. The National Council had introduced a collaboration project with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and was piloting the program across the country. As a manager...
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Mental Wellness Empowers Tribal Communities and Indigenous Peoples
October 17, 2023
Adolescence is a powerful time when individuals are discovering their identities. A recent study found that Indigenous youth were likely to experience more adverse childhood events in adolescence compared to youth of other races. Although many of us may not...
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Equipping Adults with the Skills to Support Students in Need
September 14, 2023
Being part of this has been awesome. As a trainer, I get to help people really see the importance of Youth Mental Health First Aid. I am so passionate about this program and I want to be sure that everyone...
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Impacting Mental Health Beyond School Walls
September 7, 2023
Our primary goal as educators is to help our kids learn. However, sometimes there may be something going on in their life that interferes with their ability to learn. Youth Mental Health First Aid helps teachers and other school personnel...
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Building Capacity and Giving Grace: How YMHFA Helps Teachers and School Personnel
September 5, 2023
My district has over 8,000 employees, so you can imagine it was a lot of work to meet the goal of training 80% of them in Youth Mental Health First Aid in one year. But it was 100% worth it....
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Five Ways to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health
August 31, 2023
Adults often joke about the moodiness and unpredictable nature of teenagers. As teens go through puberty, spend more time with friends and less with family and discover their own identities, the shifts don’t come easy — for them or their...
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Teachers: Take Care of Your Mental Wellbeing This Back-to-School Season
August 29, 2023
The first day of school is a welcome reprieve for many parents. Juggling childcare, work and summer activities can be flat-out exhausting! But, while parents may look forward to school-year routines, some teachers may have a hard time gearing up...
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Youth MHFA Helping Address National Youth Mental Health Crisis
August 11, 2023
Our nation has a youth mental health crisis. One in six youth and adolescents will experience a mental health condition in any given time, nearly half of teens (44%) report feeling persistently sad and hopeless and 50% of all mental...
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Bringing Mental Health Awareness to Teens in Rural Communities
May 17, 2023
I always thought I knew the best way to have a conversation with people. I have three kids, so I thought I knew how to communicate well. But in 2017, after a colleague and I attended a Youth Mental Health...
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Helping Teens Build Healthy Social Media Habits
March 28, 2023
How teenagers manage and use social media is a complicated topic. Sure, social media can be a valuable tool and resource. Many times, it’s where teenagers express themselves, develop their identities and connect with others. But it can also be...
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How to Talk to Kids About Mental Health
March 7, 2023
Having a serious conversation about mental health with a young person can be challenging, to say the least. How do you start the conversation? What should you bring up? How much is too much information? Should it even be discussed?...
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