Each year during Children’s Mental Health Awareness month, ACMH hosts a special event to highlight the importance of mental health and raise awareness about the needs of children, youth and young adults with mental health challenges and their families. This year ACMH is hosting #Worth1000Words a virtual event throughout the month of May and invites families, youth, parents/caregivers and those who support them to share their stories through photography. Click here to learn more and join us today!
ACMH has always understood the importance of children’s mental health and has spent over 30 years working to provide help and hope to families of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges across our state. With recent increases in the number of children and youth with emerging or escalating mental health needs across Michigan and the nation, continuing to raise awareness about mental health and the real issues facing children, youth and young adults with mental health challenges and their families is especially important this year. But awareness isn’t enough…asking for help is hard….and getting help is often unfortunately much harder…Throughout awareness month ACMH will use our voices, platforms and online spaces to highlight both the importance of mental health and the challenges many Michigan children, youth and families still face when accessing the mental health services and supports they need, as well as, current community and system barriers to meeting increasing needs. ACMH looks forward to partnering with families, youth, local and state partners and other family and advocacy organizations across our great state as we shine a spotlight on children’s mental health and work to help inform solutions so we can move closer to our vision that All Michigan children, youth and young adults with mental health challenges and their families live in welcoming communities with access to quality, family-driven, youth-guided mental health services and supports that meet their needs. We would be honored to have you join us!
Together we can raise awareness & make a difference in children’s mental health!
Other Events and Happenings During Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month
Governor Whitmer Declares May 1-7 Mental Health Awareness Week for Children Youth and Their Families
The National Federation of Families is hosting a panel of young adults with lived experience who will reflect on what acceptance of their mental health needs would have meant to them as children and youth. We invite you to join us to hear their powerful stories and insights on Tuesday, May 24th from 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET and we encourage you to check out our latest infographics to learn more about this year’s Children’s Mental Health Acceptance campaign.
Want to Share Your Voice or hear from others about their mental health stories?
Check out Child Mind Institute’s Dare To Share Campaign.
The Dare to Share campaign kicked off last week with a very personal video from the fabulous P!NK and a powerful segment on CBS Mornings. The campaign features video testimonials from celebrities, public figures, athletes, and kids, opening up about how they found the courage to tell their mental health stories, and what we gain when we #DareToShare
Child Mind Institute also shared some great tips sheets to help kids ad families open up about mental health which you can download below or be visiting their event page here.
Parent TipSheet: Tips on how to help kids open up and feel comfortable talking about their mental health.
Kid TipSheet: Speaking up about struggles can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to be. These tips can help you get the conversation started.