Day 3 recap of the 2024 Mental Health America Conference MHA Admin Sun, 09/22/2024 - 10:56 September 22, 2024 Day 3 Recap of the 2024 Mental Health America Conference Mental Health America wrapped up the third and final day of its annual conference with powerful programming that explored themes of novel approaches to substance use disorder, research informed by lived experience, student-led approaches to improving mental health on college campuses, and the vital role of spirituality in one’s well-being. It started with a keynote from Dr. Nzinga Harrison, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer ..read more

Day 2 recap of Mental Health America 2024 Conference MHA Admin Sat, 09/21/2024 - 12:25 September 21, 2024 Mental Health America held the second day of main events at its 2024 Mental Health America Conference on Friday, beginning with music and conversation with the Me2/ Orchestra, the world's only classical music organization created for individuals with mental illnesses and the people who support them. The presentation was sponsored by Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Following the performance and panel discussion, four of Mental Health America’s young mental health leaders Makaila Davis, Anast ..read more

Day 1 Recap of the 2024 Mental Health America Conference MHA Admin Fri, 09/20/2024 - 09:20 September 20, 2024 Mental Health America held the first day of main events at its 2024 Mental Health America Conference on Thursday with over 900 clinicians, advocates, and industry leaders attending in person and thousands across the country and globe virtually. The programming kicked off with remarks from MHA President and CEO Schroeder Stribling and Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator Carole Johnson at an opening luncheon. The afternoon featured breakout sessions across the va ..read more

Recap of the 2024 Mental Health America Policy Institute MHA Admin Wed, 09/18/2024 - 12:59 September 18, 2024 On Sept. 17, Mental Health America conducted its 2024 National Policy Institute: Social Drivers of Mental Health in Washington, D.C. The program explored the impact of social drivers such as integrating care in schools, housing, food, and economic security on the mental health of youth and their families. Experts discussed the need for more social workers to meet the needs of students, how creating communities that support housing for all is the solution to homelessness, and how yout ..read more

Youth Voices and Wellness: Two New Activities for Back-to-School MHA Admin Fri, 09/13/2024 - 08:47 Healthier Generation Champion Tara Stiles and Healthier Generation Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships Daniel Hatcher September 16, 2024 by Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Healthier Generation Centering the voices, opinions, and needs of youth is an essential strategy to support the mental health and well-being of children. Educators play a critical role in building and sustaining these authentic youth-adult partnerships, especially with historically mar ..read more

Inaugural 988 Day kicks off with message of 'No judgment, just help' MHA Admin Fri, 09/06/2024 - 11:04 September 06, 2024 by Kara Rowland, MHA Vice President of Communications Content warning: Suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988, or text MHA to 741741. It's been two years since the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides free, confidential access to trained crisis counselors 24/7 for those in distress. To spread the word about 988 resources, advocates are teaming up this year for the ..read more

Three Ways Parents and Educators Can Build Connection at School MHA Admin Tue, 08/27/2024 - 14:57 August 27, 2024 by Ariana Hoet, Ph.D., and Whitney Raglin Bignall, Ph.D, the Kids Mental Health Foundation Since the pandemic, we continue to hear concerns about kids and their mental health at school. Those concerns include increased isolation, loneliness, feelings of anxiety, school avoidance, and a widening gap in academic achievement. One way to help protect the mental health of children this back-to-school season is through connection. When kids feel connected at school, it improves their m ..read more

Internet Self-Care Day for neurodivergent brains MHA Admin Wed, 08/21/2024 - 13:02 August 21, 2024 When it comes to screen time, most experts agree: less is more. Time in nature, connecting with people we care about, and other screen-free activities are certainly beneficial for our health. But for neurodivergent brains, a more nuanced approach to internet self-care is needed to make space for the complexities that come with living in a world built for neurotypical brains. Sometimes, more screen time may actually be a self-care practice for neurodivergent people. “Cyberloafing” In his book "L ..read more

‘Breaking the Algorithm’: key takeaways from the young leaders behind a national convening on digital well-being MHA Admin Thu, 08/01/2024 - 12:27 August 01, 2024 by Tinuola Adebukola, Samuel Gerry, Keegan Lee, and Mohammad Shedeed, members of the Breaking the Algorithm project team. In an era where social media shapes the daily lives of young people, understanding its impact on mental health is critical. In light of this, Mental Health America recently hosted “Breaking the Algorithm,” a youth-led summit seeking to foster collaboration and creativity among key stakeholders from diverse secto ..read more

International Self-Care Day: What’s Your ONE THING? MHA Admin Wed, 07/24/2024 - 09:25 July 24, 2024 Self-care has recently become a buzzword used to describe things from taking a bubble bath to improving your spending habits. There are messages all around us that encourage “self-care” and the infinite ways we could and should be taking care of ourselves. Self-care to the max When I was first beginning my recovery journey after experiencing bipolar symptoms, I tried to do as many self-care practices as I could fit in a day. I woke up at 5 a.m., started my yoga practice, then meditated for 30 ..read more