Heidi Rodriguez at Crockett Elementary School On Friday, February 17th, 2023, our instructor Heidi Rodriguez wrapped up 16 weeks of teaching trauma-responsive, Mindfulness Based Social Emotional Learning with 4th and 5th graders at Crockett Elementary School in Phoenix, Arizona. Heidi is a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who works in public schools. Heidi is part of a large team of Mindfulness First Instructors who are on the ground in a variety of Arizona schools supporting the mental health wellbeing of K-12 students. Mitigating post-pandemic trauma is a priority for Mindfulness First ..read more

  Mindfulness First is honored to be recognized as an awardee of the Arizona Department of Education’s highly competitive Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grant. After a rigorous application and state procurement process, we’re grateful that the ADE set aside funds from the Presidential American Rescue Plan, that allows us to expand the impact of our mindfulness based social emotional learning (MBSEL) programs for kids and schools. The Awardees Congratulations to all the ADE ESSER awardees that share our goal of supporting schools, students, educators, and familie ..read more

  (Updated for 2022). About ACEs Did you know that the CDC recommends that communities work with schools to integrate mental health services into schools? In a recent 2014-2018 study examining mental health symptoms in school-aged children, they found that between 1 in 6 and 1 in 3 students met the criteria for one or more childhood mental health disorders such as: √ Anxiety √ Depression √ Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) √ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) √ Conduct Disorder (CD) √ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) √ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) √ Tourette Sy ..read more

  (Updated for 2022). About ACEs Did you know that the CDC recommends that communities work with schools to integrate mental health services into schools? In a recent 2014-2018 study examining mental health symptoms in school-aged children, they found that between 1 in 6 and 1 in 3 students met the criteria for one or more childhood mental health disorders such as: √ Anxiety √ Depression √ Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) √ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) √ Conduct Disorder (CD) √ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) √ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) √ Tourette Sy ..read more

AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health A declaration from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association: As health professionals dedicated to the care of children and adolescents, we have witnessed soaring rates of mental health challenges among children, adolescents, and their families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the situation that existed prior to the pandemic.  Children and families across our country have experienced enormous adversi ..read more

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 What Does Neuroscience Think About Mindfulness? Mindfulness can be transformative in many areas of life, especially when it comes to reducing stress and structural brain changes. What does that focused awareness mean in terms of neuroscience? “Participating in an eight-week mindfulness program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress.” — The Harvard Gazette Scientific studies show structural changes in the amygdala, one of the main parts of the brain, responsible for the body's reaction to stress. Mindfulness ..read more

 Mental Health for School-Aged Kids Did you know that the CDC recommends that communities work with schools to integrate mental health services into schools? In a recent 2014-2018 study examining mental health symptoms in school-aged children, they found that between 1 in 6 and 1 in 3 students met the criteria for one or more childhood mental health disorders such as: √ Anxiety √ Depression √ Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) √ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) √ Conduct Disorder (CD) √ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) √ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) √ Tourette ..read more

 300+ and Counting You may have noticed we’ve been a little quieter than usual, but we promise there’s a great reason! While it seems like 2021 just started, we’ve already started training more than 300 teachers, counselors, and school administrators throughout the United States in our trauma-informed mindfulness curriculums. We’re even creating the first Mindfulness First school district in the United States! Here’s a few schools, districts, and counselors we’re excited to be training.      ..read more

  The Balsz Elementary School District in east Phoenix will become the first in the state to officially embrace an important curriculum for student mental health. The district’s Governing Board voted recently to become the first Mindfulness First school district, implementing a program by Mindfulness First in each of its schools designed to promote mental health and social and emotional well-being as part of the educational curriculum. The program is particularly timely considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional stresses being placed upon students at this tim ..read more