Calling All Youth: Get Involved In Mental Health Month!

See our tips below for ideas on how you can participate in Mental Health Month in your community. All month long, share photos and posts of what you’re doing on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #NAMICAYouthVoices.

On Youth Advocacy Day on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, all posters using the #NAMICAYouthVoices hashtag will be entered into a raffle to win a deluxe Each Mind Matters prize package (sweatshirt, T-shirt, and more). To be eligible for the prize, you must post on May 17 — however, be sure to use the hashtag all month long in May!

Here are a just a few ways you can get involved:

• Talk to your school administration and/or school board about implementing programs to reduce stigma and prevent suicide, like NAMI’s Ending the Silence
• Set up a meeting with your local affiliate to talk about ways you can get involved locally
• Watch and share Directing Change videos (visit www.directingchange.org)
• Hand out green ribbons around your community in honor of mental health awareness
• Join your local NAMI affiliate and get involved in county mental health advocacy efforts
• Pledge to stop using words like “crazy,” “schizo,” “lunatic” and other stigmatizing words
• Write an article or blog post for your school or college newspaper
• Gather your friends and wear all lime green. When people ask you why, explain about Each Mind Matters!
• Register for NAMI CA’s Annual Conference in Burlingame, CA on August 21-22- there will be a whole track of workshops for youth and students!
• Set up a meeting with your school principal, college dean or other school officials to talk about how to make your campus more accepting of mental health
• Don’t forget to take photos and share online using #NAMICAYouthVoices!