Today's youth are facing unprecedented challenges to their mental well-being, and supportive adults can make a significant difference in a young person’s mental health journey.

Mental Health America's 2024 Supporting Young Minds Guides have been created to empower parents, caregivers, teachers, and others to provide support by fostering nonjudgmental environments where young people feel safe expressing themselves. In them, you will find information about facilitating conversations and validating feelings, creating safe spaces and supportive culture in the classroom, and ways to promote peer support. We've also created resources to help young people support one another and feel empowered to set and achieve goals.

Follow this link for more information and supporting young minds guides: https://www.mhanational.org/young-minds

Toolkit of Behavioral Health Resources Pertaining to the Israel-Hamas Conflict

This list of resources was developed for those working with and supporting individuals and communities emotionally impacted by the Israel-Hamas conflict and is intended for various populations and service sectors. The following is included:

• Materials focused on responding to hate crimes and other violence motivated by prejudice.
• Resources for and about specific populations, including children, families, and schools; refugees, asylum-seekers, and others new to the United States; and responders.
• Information about international incidents and general behavioral health needs during and after crises, mass violence and terrorism, and trauma.
• Resources for acute behavioral health needs.  

CLICK ON THE LINK below to access the toolkit:  

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/toolkit-behavioral-health-resources-israel-hamas-conflict.pdf

The Hope and Healing Center & Institute (HHCI)

The Hope and Healing Center & Institute (HHCI) is an expression of St. Martin Episcopal Church’s vision to minister to those broken by life’s circumstances and a direct response to the compassionate Great Commission of Jesus. An independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization housed on the St. Martin’s campus, the HHCI is a comprehensive mental health resource serving the Houston community and beyond.
To directly access classes, webinars, etc. click on this link:
https://hopeandhealingcenter.org/events/

McInnes, S., Halcomb, E., Ashley, C., Kean, A., Moxham, L., & Patterson, C. (2022). An integrative review of primary health care nurses' mental health knowledge gaps and learning needs. Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia),  29(4), 540–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2021.12.005

A social message on....The Body of Christ and Mental Illness
Adopted by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on November 10, 2011 
http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Mental_IllnessSM.pdf?_ga=2.159487741.1597886272.1539980204-629435371.1539980204

Pathways to Promise
This website is intended for faith leaders, interested laity, people with Mental Illness and their families, friends, and supporters, plus Mental Health Professionals interested in working with the faith community.
http://www.pathways2promise.org/

Center of Addiction and Faith
A national ministry to raise awareness about addiction and how faith communities can respond more effectively.  It provides education, inspiration, and practical tools to help develop leadership and assist faith communities to better address the spiritual spiritual needs of those afflicted.  https://www.addictionandfaith.com/

The Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation

Mental illness touches every family, community and house of worship. Find resources here for education, programs, advocacy and services.

Advocate's Congregational Health Partnerships has a Faith and Mental Health Booklet with resources and information for faith leaders on mental health recovery.

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital's Connections Magazine has an excellent issue on mental health. It is loaded with articles and resources for faith communities.

The Interfaith Mental Health Coalition is a regional group that works with faith communities to reduce stigma, provide support and educate about mental health issues.

NAMI Basics Education Program is a national signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness. The course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. All instruction and course materials are free to class participants. For more information click on the brochure.

NIMH Offers Mental Health Information in Spanish

NIMH offers basic information on mental disorders and related topics in Spanish for patients and their families, health professionals, and the public. Higher quantities of printed materials are available now and can be ordered free of charge at https://go.usa.gov/xdHTG El NIMH ofrece información básica en español sobre los trastornos mentales y temas relacionados dirigida a pacientes y sus familias, profesionales de la salud y el público en general. Ahora tenemos disponibles cantidades más grandes de nuestros materiales impresos. Solicítelos gratis en https://go.usa.gov/xdHTG

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/espanol/index.shtml

PEARLS Program
The Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) is a national evidence-based program for late-life depression.  PEARLS brings high quality mental health care into community-based settings that reach vulnerable older adults.
https://depts.washington.edu/hprc/evidence-based-programs/pearls-program/

Mental Health Toolkit from Mental Health America.  

The Partnership Center at the Department of Health and Human Services has provided an excellent resource list on opioids and addictions for faith communities. Focus on Youth: Download here.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

SAMHSA’s National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

Sexual Violence

An American is sexually assaulted every two minutes, totaling an average of nearly 238,000 individuals over 12 years of age each year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. And the Crimes Against Children Research Center estimates that one in five girls and one in twenty boys will be a victim of sexual abuse in their lifetimes. These assaults leave behind a lifetime of psychological damage. The links below offer excellent resources for those seeking support in breaking the pattern of violence.  

National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE)

https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/victims-sexual-abuse

Preventing Suicide

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline  https://988lifeline.org

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention      https://afsp.org/

Suicide Prevention Competencies for Faith Leaders: Supporting Life Before, During, and After a Suicidal Crisis.
Supported by SAMHSA, this new resource aims to help equip leaders of all faiths with the capabilities needed to prevent suicide and provide care and comfort for those affected by suicide.  https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/fhl_competencies_v8_interactive.pdf

Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit

Did you know? The U.S. had one death by suicide about every 11 minutes in 2021. For people aged 10–14 and 25–34 years, suicide was the second-leading cause of death. Nearly 900,000 youth aged 12-17 and 1.7 million adults attempted suicide. An increasingly greater proportion of Black students report experiencing a suicide attempt in the prior year than their White peers. Suicide is a growing problem among young people. Faith leaders can have a significant impact on youth, their families, and your entire faith community. HOPE: A Guide for Faith Leaders to Help Prevention Youth Suicide provides faith leaders with guidance for identifying and helping youth who may be at risk for suicide.

Resources for Helping Veterans

https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/wellness?utm_source=dept_of_va&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_l

https://psycharmor.org/about-us/

https://nrd.gov/resource/detail/20739774/PsychArmor+Institute+-+Courses+for+Veteran+Caregiver+%26+Families