Children's Mental Health Awareness Week

May 5 - 11, 2013

Mark your calendar!

Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is Thursday, May 9, 2013

NAMI NH has partnered with other New Hampshire child and family serving agencies, organizations and advocacy groups and planned a number of “Children’s Mental Health Matters” awareness events during the week of May 5-11, 2013.
NH’s efforts are similar to other communities around the country who are participating in National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week which is a part of the Public Awareness and Support Strategic Initiative by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health & Human Services.
The goal of all the events is to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. All events will promote the importance of:

Building resiliency in our children and youth;
Screening for emotional disorders in our children and youth; and
Early identification and intervention.
Research demonstrates that if screening is conducted the emotional needs of children and adolescents can result in identification and early intervention which can then avoid many years of pain and distress for our children, youth and families. This approach will ensure that our children and youth are able to meet their social/emotional developmental milestones.

View the NAMI NH Calendar of Events for activities scheduled during Children's Mental Health Awareness Week

Community Sponsors and Partners
Center for Life Management	NH Department of Health and Human Services
Community Partners	NH Family Voices
Endowment for Health	NH DHHS Special Medical Services
Every Child Matters	Northern Human Services
Genesis Behavioral Health	Parent Information Center
Granite State Federation of Families	Riverbend Community Mental Health
Greater Nashua Mental Health Center	Seacoast Mental Health Center
IDEA Partnership	S.E.R.E.S.C.
Monadnock Family Services	The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester
NFI North	WCAK Project
NH Association of Infant Mental Health	West Central Behavioral Health
NH CEBIS	Weidiko
NH Charitable Foundation

Suggested activities to raise awareness in your community:

Distribute the “Children’s Mental Health Matters” green ribbons; they can be purchased at 35 cents each at here.
Present the NAMI NH Emotional Literacy Program - “free” 1 hour program created for children on the Grades 1-5 level can be presented in classrooms, after school programs and youth programs. The program this year is on bipolar disorder and the book, Darcy Daisy and the Firefly Festival, is entertaining, as well as, educational. This program was launched at the Mental Health AND Schools Conference in October, 2012. For a FREE program packet, contact Claudia at cferber@naminh.org.
Donate children’s books to the local library. Use this as a photo op and submit to local paper with a short paragraph about the important of building resiliency in children and teens. View Suggested Book listing.
Hold Community Conversations-screen one of the Who Cares About Kelsey? Mini films produced by Dan Habib, filmmaker in residence at the UNH/Institute on Disabilities and follow up with a discussion about how to improve outcomes for all students. The toolkit contains the documentary film Who Cares About Kelsey? and nine mini films with prepared discussion questions. The toolkit can be obtained by contacting Kären Clausen at karen.clausen@unh.edu or 603.228.2085 x26.
Sponsor presentations on how to build resiliency in children in your local community.
Use BLOGS, TWITTER, Facebook, websites, enewsletters to share facts about the importance of screening, early identification and interventions, and tips on how to build resiliency in children and youth.
Fact Sheets

To learn how to become involved or for some technical assistance to offer an awareness event or activity in your community, contact Claudia at cferber@naminh.org to access assistance from a member of the Planning Committee.

RESOURCES

What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health

Building Resilience in Children

A Family Guide: Integrating Mental Health and Pediatric Primary Care

Reinvesting in the Community: A Family Guide to Expanding Home and Community-Based Mental Health Services and Supports

Resilience for Teens: Got Bounce?

Toward the ABCs: Building a Healthy, Social and Emotional Foundation for Learning and Living

Mental Health Screening in Schools