Support Mental Health Education and Awareness
Tax deductible
(Image courtesy of Psychologs)
Mental health literacy is a critical social issue impacting millions globally, with growing significance in the U.S., especially among our youth. In Texas, for example, only 13% of students seek help for mental health issues, which may contribute to a higher rate of suicide attempts among the nation’s youth, and especially within certain demographics such as Black and Hispanic youth (Every Texan, 2024).
Further, studies indicate that about 20% of adults experience mental health challenges yearly, yet many lack awareness about mental health conditions, resources, or ways to seek help, especially in underserved communities (Mental Health America, 2024). As such, there is still a significant gap in mental health literacy, with a lack of recognizing the importance of early intervention, support networks, and accessible mental health resources (Mental Health America, 2024).
The mission of Mental Health Collaborative focuses on building resilient communities through increasing community awareness, involvement, and education regarding mental health to promote literacy on the subject and, in turn, provide prevention-based care. Their approach targets education regarding stigmas, facts vs. fiction, and the positive consequences of mental health literacy (Mental Health Collaborative, 2023). Preventing mental health crises through evidence-based programs has proven to be highly effective and produce positive results for individuals affected by mental illness as well as for their families and communities (Mental Health Collaborative, 2023).
Contributions to Mental Health Collaborative support vital initiatives that raise awareness for mental health in communities, lessen stigma, and encourage people to get treatment. In order to promote awareness and resilience, your contribution makes it possible to develop easily accessible educational materials, training courses, and outreach campaigns. By working together, we can create a society that values and promotes mental health.
Mental Health Collaborative offers many training courses on mental health education, including:
- In addition to learning how to include mental health into parenting, parents and caregivers will also learn how to recognize when loved ones need mental health support, where to find professional treatment, and how to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
- Mental Health Collaborative offers a 2-hour self-paced e-course for young adults ages 18-25 that provides evidence-based strategies for healthy coping, self-care, and recognizing mental illness signs. It helps participants understand when to seek professional help, build healthy relationships, navigate life transitions, and design a fulfilling independent life. This program has been developed by experienced clinicians, with diverse young adult voices, and allows for optional access to anonymized data and analytics.
- Mental Health Collaborative adapted Canada's “Go-to Educator” program into Mental Health Essentials for Educators, a training focused on the four components of Mental Health Literacy. It equips educators with skills to identify and refer students in need, manage mental health in the classroom, discuss mental health with students, and practice self-care. It is a 3-or-5-hour training, delivered by experienced clinicians, and is available to school personnel either virtually or in-person.
Testimonials from actual participants in Mental Health Collaborative’s programs highlight the insightful information and strategies made available to them, as well as commend the knowledge and empathy provided by the program facilitators regarding these life-saving skills.
One high school educator notes that the Mental Health Essentials for Educators program was, “one of the most relevant and well-presented professional trainings in [their] 15 years of teaching,” and that that they have “successfully applied this content in [their] work with students, …relationships with others, and with [their] own children” (Mental Health Collaborative, 2023).
In addition, after participating in the Mental Health Essentials for Students program, students exhibited:
- “significant increases in knowledge,”
- “significantly more positive attitudes toward mental illness (stigma reduction),” and
- “significant increases in understanding of self-care and help-seeking strategies” (Mental Health Collaborative, 2023).
Promoting mental health education and awareness is imperative now more than ever. Through your contributions to Mental Health Collaborative, you will be supporting these life-saving programs that allow individuals to understand and recognize positive mental health, identify mental illnesses and their treatments, decrease stigma surrounding mental illness, and increase self-advocacy and help-seeking efficacy.
For more information on Mental Health Collaborative and to access their resources, visit https://www.mentalhealthcollaborative.org.
References:
- Mcadams, G. (2023, December 15). Data Brief: The State of Mental & Behavioral Health in Young Texans - Every Texan. Every Texan -. https://everytexan.org/2023/12/15/data-brief-the-state-of-mental-behavioral-health-in-young-texans/
- Mental Health America. (2019). MHA | Mental Health America. Mhanational.org. https://mhanational.org/
- Mental Health Innovation Network. (n.d.). Improving access to care: Go-To Educator program. Retrieved November 15, 2024. https://www.mhinnovation.net/innovations/improving-access-care-go-educator-program
- smashstarmedia. (2023, July 25). Our Impact | Mental Health Collaborative. www.mentalhealthcollaborative.org. https://www.mentalhealthcollaborative.org/about-us/our-impact/
Organizer
TTEAM UNT
Organizer
Rosharon, TX
Mental Health Collaborative
Beneficiary