Destigmatizing Mental Health is So Much More than Just Raising Awareness

The mental health crisis is real—especially for young people. Raising awareness about the issues and sharing warning signs is not enough. This is the moment to build a wellness movement grounded in care, empathy, and inclusion. Destigmatizing mental health will require growth from awareness to appreciation to advocacy to action.
School psychologists are uniquely positioned to advise student clubs on mental health. School-based programs give students a platform to share their voices and raise awareness on mental health issues. Clubs can empower students to educate one another and their communities while creating a culture of peer support within schools.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the mental health crisis since the pandemic.
• Explain the framework that exists in most school communities to create student clubs, discover various national resources to assist in this action-oriented work.
• Apply the stages of change necessary to destigmatize mental health in your school community.

Qualification Level Required: A

Instructional level: Introductory

Target audience: Clinical psychologists, school psychologists, mental health professionals, neuropsychologists, psychologists