Today’s youth are facing unprecedented challenges to their mental well-being, and supportive adults can make a significant difference in a young person’s mental health journey.
Mental Health America’s 2024 Supporting Young Minds Guides have been created to empower parents, caregivers, teachers, and others to provide support by fostering nonjudgmental environments where young people feel safe expressing themselves. In them, you will find information about facilitating conversations and validating feelings, creating safe spaces and supportive culture in the classroom, and ways to promote peer support. We’ve also created resources to help young people support one another and feel empowered to set and achieve goals.
Resources for adults
Resources for youthRecursos en Español
Learn moreTrace’s Story
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MHA Resources
- Looking for tools to help address and improve youth mental health? Check out Mental Health America’s 2024 #SupportingYoungMinds Resource Guide for info and tools for adults to use in their work with young people! Learn more at mhanational.org/young-minds
- We’re joining Mental Health America’s #SupportingYoungMinds campaign to help spread the word that empowering young people is key to improving youth mental health. Learn more at mhanational.org/young-minds
- This fall, we encourage you to explore tools for parents and caregivers, school personnel, and other adults in a young person’s life in Mental Health America’s 2024 #SupportingYoungMinds Resource Guide. mhanational.org/young-minds
- Young people are our future – let’s empower youth voices in mental health! Visit mhanational.org/youth to find information and opportunities for young mental health advocates. #SupportingYoungMinds
Key Messages
- Validation matters! Give youth the space to talk about their mental health without judgment. mhanational.org/young-minds #SupportingYoungMinds
- Young people feel validated and empowered when they use their stories, opinions, and experiences to help others. Learn more about the impact of youth peer support at mhanational.org/young-minds #SupportingYoungMinds
- Now more than ever, young people need to feel seen, heard, and valued. We urge adults to take steps to create relationships and environments where youth feel safe and comfortable expressing themselves. Learn more at mhanational.org/young-minds #SupportingYoungMinds
- Protect youth mental health, both in the classroom and at home! Learn more and join Mental Health America’s #SupportingYoungMinds campaign at mhanational.org/young-minds
Screening
- Young people should feel empowered to take control of their mental health. Take a free #mentalhealth test at mhascreening.org. #SupportingYoungMinds
- No matter your age, taking a mental health test is one of the easiest ways to check in on your #mentalhealth. Get screened at mhascreening.org. #SupportingYoungMinds
Crisis/Support:
- If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
- Teens looking for mental health support can reach out to Teen Line, a hotline of professionally trained teen counselors. Call 800-852-8336 or text TEEN to 839863 (6-10 pm PST).
- Talk to someone who gets it. Mental Health America’s Peer Bridger Program is a free resource for anyone with mental health and addiction needs. Text HELLO to 571-487-7456. The line operates from 10 am to midnight ET, Monday – Friday.
Hashtags
#SupportingYoungMinds
Links
Take a mental health test
Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition
Where to Start
Our book “Where to Start” tackles the issues you might see during this return to school with a jargon-free approach to understanding mental health.