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Back to School
| For Parents and Other Adults | For Young People | Toolkit Download |
The 2015 Back to School Toolkit is designed for MHA Affiliates, advocates, and organizations of all types to use with parents, youth and school personnel to raise awareness of the importance of talking about mental health.
By using the toolkit materials, you will help members of your community:
- Be aware of the risk factors and early warning signs for mental health disorders in youth;
- Access tools to assess the mental health of young people through use of MHA’s scientifically proven, free, anonymous, and confidential screening tools for youth and parents;
- Learn strategies for starting conversations about mental health concerns; and
- Increase understanding of next steps and treatment options available to help young people address their mental health.
This year’s toolkit includes:
Media Materials
- Key Messages
- Drop-In Article for Parents
- Drop-In Article for Students
- Radio PSA Scripts
- Morning Announcement Scripts
Social Media and Web Components
- Sample Facebook and Twitter Posts
- Facebook Cover and Profile Images
- Twitter Header and Profile Images
- Youth Mental Health 101 Infographic
Items for Advocates
- Sample Letter to School Administrators
- Sample Letter to Policymakers
Fact Sheets and Handouts
- Time to Talk: Uncomfortable, but Important! A Guide for Adolescents and Teens
- Time to Talk: Uncomfortable, but Important! A Guide for Parents and Other Adults
- “Fortune Cookie” Mental Health Quiz Activity
Going back to school is a time full of excitement for kids and teens, but it can also be a stressful time for them. If that stress was amounting to something more serious, would you know the signs? If you were concerned about your child's mental health, would you know how to start a conversation with them? Or if your child came to you to talk about struggles they were having, would you know what to say or do?
We want you to be prepared for the school year as well. That's why we've put together materials to help you understand the basics about youth mental health, when it's time to talk, places to get help and how to deal with your own feelings if your child is struggling.
Youth Mental Health 101 Infographic
Time to Talk: Talking to Adolescents and Teens
Talking to Adolescents and Teens: Starting the Conversation
Talking To Adolescents and Teens: What To Do and Where To Go
We also want to learn more about your experiences talking to young people about their mental health so that we can create additional resources. Please take our survey (it should only take 2 or 3 minutes), and help us be more helpful to you!
Mental Health America collaborated with our partners at The Mighty to find out how parents knew their kids needed help. Check out 9 Ways Parents Knew It Was Time to Get Their Child Mental Health Help.
Still not sure how to get started? Check out this advice from our partner, Fable the Poet.
It's exciting to be young - there are so many new things to try, new people to meet and new things to learn. It's also stressful being young - there's the stress of fitting in and getting good grades, not to mention the changes that might be going on with your body. Sometimes, stress can turn into mental health struggles. Did you know that as many as 12 million young people a year have a diagnosable mental health disorder?
If your stress was turning into something more serious, would you know the signs? If you were concerned about your mental health, would you know how to start a conversation with someone about it? Or if your a friend came to you to talk about struggles they were having, would you know what to say or do?
We've put together materials to help you understand the basics about mental health in young people, when it's time to talk, people and places you can go to for help, what to do if a friend comes to you with mental health struggles and common concerns about talking to parents. Check them out!
Youth Mental Health 101 Infographic
Time to Talk: Uncomfortable, but Important!
Time to Talk: Tips for Talking About Your Mental Health
Time to Talk: Talking to Your Parents
We also want to learn more about your experiences talking to your parents or other adults about your mental health, or what you did if a friend came to you. Please take our survey (it should only take 2 or 3 minutes), so that we can figure out what other info you might need from us.
Check out this video from our partner, Fable the Poet, about his experience and why it's important to talk about your mental health.
2014 Back To School Materials
You can still access the 2014 Back To School Materials on our website.
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