Resource: Erika’s Lighthouse
Erika's Lighthouse is a nonprofit on a mission to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and provide free depression education and suicide prevention programs to any school, anywhere.
Craft Middle and High School Activities Using the Mental Health America Toolkit
Mental Health America (MHA) released its 2024 Toolkit, called Where to Start, in March 2024. Parts or all of the Toolkit can be used to promote mental health awareness and reduce stigma.
Going Green for Mental Health in Schools
In conjunction with using some of the educational tools included in the Mental Health America 2024 Toolkit, Where to Start, you might choose to Go Green. Green is the “official color for mental health awareness” and “represents renewal, hope and vitality.” Be ready to explain WHY you are displaying green: to demonstrate commitment to mental well-being.
Video: Said No Teen Ever
Even as we work to educate and empower youth to protect their own mental health, recognize when help is needed, and seek help for themselves or their peers. Still, when a young person is struggling, it is up to us to notice.
Natural Hacks for a Happier Brain
While some stress is unavoidable, coping with the stress that comes our way is within our power by hacking our brain for better mood! There are four brain chemicals that rule our emotional outlook - Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphin - often called by their acronym as the DOSE chemicals.
Alternative to Suspension Workshops from Cancer Pathways
Using curricula from the American Lung Association, Cancer Pathways personnel who are trained in health education and nicotine cessation deliver two separate programs, via Zoom, to students outside the Seattle area (where they prefer to administer in-person workshops).
Friends for Life: Prevent Overdose
The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) has launched the Friends for Life fentanyl awareness and prevention campaign. The Friends for Life campaign seeks to inform and educate people, including youth aged 12 and up, about illicit fentanyl, how to help teens avoid opioids like fentanyl, how to spot and respond to an opioid overdose, and how to use naloxone.
Bring Parents’ Night Out to Your Students’ Parents and Other Caregivers
Parents’ Night Out is a FREE educational session for parents and other caregivers, and is part of the Talk. They Hear You. campaign of the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Prescription Drug Safety: Know the Truth for Grades 8-12
Available in the FREE digital platform EverFi from Everbaud and supported by Truth, Prescription Drug Safety: Know the Truth consists of eight lessons intended for grades 8 - 12.