This fall, ACMH staff have had opportunities to connect with families, professionals, students, and community partners through conferences, workshops, and resource-sharing events. From conversations about the power of peer support to opportunities for youth and family leaders to share their expertise, here’s a look at some of the places our team has been!

Sharing the Power of Connection and Peer Support

Connection, relationships, and lived experience were at the heart of several presentations this fall.

At the National Federation of Families Conference, Angie Engler, Parent Support Partner Statewide Coordinator, and Dianna Robinson, Director of Operations, facilitated an interactive workshop, When Home Isn’t Safe Anymore: Redesigning Intensive Family Support. Drawing on their own lived experiences, they invited participants to examine the gaps between traditional community-based services and out-of-home placement and consider what more intensive, family-centered support could look like.

At the Home-Based Association Conference, Shawna Kassuba, Education & Outreach Coordinator, and Krissy Dristy, Director of Peer Programs, led a closing plenary presentation exploring the transformative power of human connection, the value of lived experience, and the importance of relationships in peer support. The presentation also offered social work continuing education credits.

Shawna brought another perspective to the SCHA-MI Northern Regional Meeting, presenting The Psychology of Possibility: The Science of Connection, Hope & Engagement. The session explored the science behind connection, hope, and meaningful engagement with providers working in school-based health centers, while incorporating family-driven, youth-guided principles and the importance of elevating youth and family voices in behavioral health services.

Elevating Youth and Family Voices

Creating opportunities for young people and families to share their knowledge and experiences is an important part of ACMH’s work.

At the 34th Annual Parenting Awareness Michigan Conference, ACMH Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) member Nicole (Nikki) Kirksey took the lead in developing and presenting two workshops alongside Dianna:

• From IEPs to Real Life: How to Advocate for Supports That Actually Work
• Behavior Is Communication: Understanding What Your Child Is Trying to Tell You

With more than 12 years of experience in education, including special education, and her lived experience as a parent of a neurodivergent child, Nikki brought professional knowledge and personal insight to both sessions. Together, Nikki and Dianna explored practical advocacy strategies, understanding children’s needs, and recognizing parents as experts in their children’s lives.

Our team also connected with student leaders at the SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference, where Shawna and Kyla Viurquiz, Crisis Peer Lead Trainer, facilitated What’s in Your Backpack? Unpacking Stress, Finding Balance & Building Resilience for Life. Students reflected on their well-being, explored ways to find balance, and considered the role of connection, hope, and peer support as they navigate education, careers, and life.

Sharing Resources and Making Connections

Sometimes the best way to introduce people to ACMH’s work is simply to be there, share a resource, and start a conversation.

Shawna and Dianna represented ACMH at a NAMI community event, connecting with attendees and sharing information about ACMH’s programs and resources.

They also participated in a tabletop presentation at Michigan State University, sharing ACMH’s Crisis Toolkit and introducing attendees to practical tools that help families prepare for and navigate mental health crises.

Continuing the Conversation

These opportunities are one extension of the work happening across ACMH every day, including statewide training and technical assistance for Youth Peer Support Specialists, Parent Support Partners, and Family Crisis Response Peers, along with youth and family leadership and resource development.

A Few Moments From Our Fall

A look at some of the places, people, and conversations we’ve been part of.

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We’re incredibly grateful to Kaizen Black Belt Academy for choosing ACMH as the beneficiary of their annual picnic fundraiser!

As part of the picnic, students and families had the chance to purchase pies to throw at their instructors, with $10 buying one pie and $40 buying enough to pie all of the teachers. We set a goal of $500, and the Kaizen community blew past it. The fundraiser brought in $390 in sales, and Kaizen Black Belt Academy generously matched the proceeds, bringing the total raised to $760. And our own Executive Director, Carla Pretto, got pied too!

We’re incredibly grateful to the students, families, instructors, and everyone at Kaizen who helped make this fundraiser such a success. Your support helps ACMH continue creating opportunities for children, young people, and families across Michigan to find connection, build confidence, and know that their voices matter.

Photo Gallery

Interested in raising funds for ACMH? We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have an idea for a fundraiser, community event, or another creative way to support our work, email us at [email protected].

Thank you, Kaizen Black Belt Academy, for helping make a difference for Michigan children, youth, and families!

The Association for Children’s Mental Health (ACMH) participated in the inaugural meeting of the Michigan Suicide Prevention Council in April 2026, a statewide collaborative effort convened by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to strengthen suicide prevention efforts across Michigan.

The Council brings together leaders and partners from diverse sectors, including public health, healthcare, education, behavioral health, community organizations, law enforcement, Tribal communities, veteran services, crisis services, and advocacy organizations to support implementation of Michigan’s Suicide Prevention Plan and advance coordinated suicide prevention efforts statewide.

Across Michigan, communities continue to feel the impact of suicide. In 2024, 1,443 Michigan residents died by suicide, with suicide ranking among the leading causes of death for young people in the state.

During the inaugural meeting, Council members reviewed Michigan’s current suicide prevention landscape, discussed strengths and gaps within the prevention system, and identified priorities to strengthen statewide suicide prevention infrastructure. Initial priorities include the establishment of a dedicated Office of Suicide Prevention and advancing suicide prevention education and training opportunities across key professions. A final report outlining the Council’s recommendations and proposed future action steps to strengthen suicide prevention efforts across Michigan is available here.

Read the Michigan Suicide Prevention Council: Strengthening Suicide Prevention Infrastructure Across Michigan – Initial Report – June 2026

Unfortunately, the Michigan Suicide Prevention Council was not renewed in the fiscal year 2027 state budget and will end on September 30. Despite this, the work completed provides a strong foundation for ongoing collaboration among partners committed to reducing suicide and promoting mental well-being across Michigan.

ACMH was honored to contribute to this important work and to bring youth and family perspectives to a statewide conversation about suicide prevention. We remain committed to working alongside partners across Michigan to strengthen prevention, expand access to meaningful support, and ensure that young people and families know they are not alone.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ACMH Celebrates Community Partnership Through Music at Youth Mental Health Action Day

Published July 22, 2026 • Association for Children’s Mental Health

By Dianna Robinson, Director of Operations

 

East Lansing High School Jazz Ensemble Helps Create a Meaningful Experience for Families, Youth, and Community Leaders

The Association for Children’s Mental Health (ACMH) believes that building stronger communities requires more than education and advocacy—it requires connection. This year’s Youth Mental Health Action Day demonstrated just that through a unique partnership that brought together the arts, youth leadership, and children’s mental health.

Thanks to funding provided through a City of Lansing Mini Pocket Grant from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, ACMH welcomed Seniors Last Day, a talented four-piece jazz ensemble made up of graduating seniors from East Lansing High School, to perform during the 2026 Youth Mental Health Action Day held on May 21.

As attendees arrived and gathered for lunch, the students’ live jazz performance created a warm, welcoming atmosphere that encouraged conversation, reflection, and connection. Their music became an integral part of the day’s experience and received enthusiastic feedback from participants throughout the event.

Youth Mental Health Action Day brought together youth, families, educators, behavioral health professionals, advocates, community organizations, and state leaders from across Michigan to raise awareness of children’s mental health while celebrating the importance of supporting young people and their families.

One of the day’s highlights was welcoming Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who presented the official Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Day for Children, Youth, and Their Families. The student musicians provided a beautiful musical backdrop for this meaningful occasion, helping create an environment of celebration, hope, and community.

A Partnership That Began with Music

While the performance itself was a tremendous success, it also sparked something even more meaningful—a new partnership.

ACMH has since reached out to David Larzelere, Director of Bands at East Lansing High School, to express appreciation for helping make the collaboration possible and to begin exploring whether the school’s music program may be interested in future partnership opportunities.

Each year, ACMH hosts statewide conferences that bring together hundreds of families, professionals, advocates, and community leaders committed to improving children’s behavioral health across Michigan. The organization hopes this year’s collaboration will become the beginning of an ongoing tradition that provides local student musicians with opportunities to showcase their talents while enriching community events that serve families across the state.

The Arts Strengthen Communities

The collaboration also demonstrated how the arts can complement and strengthen community initiatives focused on health and well-being.

Music has a unique ability to bring people together, create welcoming spaces, and foster meaningful human connection. By investing in local student musicians, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing not only supported young artists but also helped enhance an event dedicated to promoting children’s mental health and family well-being.

ACMH is grateful to the Arts Council of Greater Lansing for its support through the City of Lansing Mini Pocket Grant Program and to the talented members of Seniors Last Day for sharing their gifts with our community.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to David Larzelere and the East Lansing High School Music Department for partnering with us to make this experience possible.

As ACMH reflects on the success of Youth Mental Health Action Day 2026, we are excited about the possibilities ahead and look forward to continuing to build partnerships that celebrate youth talent, strengthen communities, and support the mental health and well-being of Michigan’s children and families.

Youth Mental Health Action Day 2026 brought more than 180 youth, young adults, families, caregivers, advocates, providers, and community partners together on May 21 in Lansing for a high-energy day focused on youth mental health, connection, and collaboration. With over 50 youth and young adults helping lead the experience, the event centered lived experience, creativity, and youth voice throughout every part of the day.

A Day Centered on Youth Voice and Connection

This year’s theme, “Piecing It Together: A Mosaic Made Strong with Every Voice,” was reflected throughout the event, highlighting the importance of lived experience, collaboration, and community in strengthening youth mental health. Participants engaged in keynote remarks, breakout sessions, a resource fair, and youth-led discussions that brought the theme to life in meaningful ways.

A full recap and photo gallery from the day is now available here.

Save the Date: 36th Annual ACMH Conference

Looking ahead, registration is now open for the 36th Annual ACMH Conference, taking place Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at The MTG Space in Lansing, Michigan. Learn more here.

This year’s theme, We Are the Eyes of the World, brings together youth, families, caregivers, professionals, and community partners from across Michigan for a day of connection, learning, and collaboration focused on strengthening support for youth mental health. The theme invites reflection on the needs, strengths, and voices within our communities, recognizing that what we see, we can support, and what we support, we can change. During Suicide Awareness Month, the conference also serves as an opportunity to uplift voices, build connection, and reinforce that support and hope are always within reach.

Learn more and register here!

Call for Proposals and Registration Now Open

Call for proposals (RFP) for presenters and exhibitors is open through July 13, 2026, and registration is open through September 19, 2026.