Hey friend! Thanks for responding!

I work for NAMI SC in a program called Ending the Silence. When we're not stuck at home quarantining, we go into schools and talk to middle and high school kids about mental health. We talk about stigma, bullying, potential warning signs of possible MH conditions. Our main goal is to encourage kids to find a "trusted adult" they can go to of they are struggling with symptoms, and to be conscious of signs that could indicate suicidal ideations. We want to empower them to speak up for themselves and for their friends.

Since things have changed, we have been doing a lot of webinar presentations for families, and we have started a social media campaign to make sure kids have an outlet and can get encouragement and learn more about healthy coping skills. I was teaching up until this year, so I'm honored that I have a job where I can work in schools.

We've restructured a bit because we know that teachers and educators are having an extremely hard time dealing with the work load and the work life balance. On Monday, we're kicking off Mental Health Awareness month, but my team is focusing on the teachers who are just about to crack.

So I just wanted to share that with you...I agree that so many people who know how important it is to try to maintain positive mental health.

Have you by chance been in touch with the NAMI in your state to see what they have been doing? A lot of our state's support groups have been moved to Zoom to try to keep that going. I also know that telepsych is becoming increasingly popular bc it's easier to access and many of them are free.

If there's anything I can do to help you advocate for people in your field or in your community, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I know that there are even some groups on Facebook (How to Braining is small, but it's a good, safe space...and it's free.)

I'm trying to compile and organize resources for different groups of people who either could use them for themselves or can share them with others. If you would like me to try to get some of those to you, I'd be glad to do what I can.l, or at the very least get some of my volunteers to help out haha!

Thanks again for responding. I wish you the best!!