Teaching Resilient Students and Raising Healthy Teens: Mental health, substance use and suicide prevention resources for educators and parents
This monthly newsletter provides a list of curated resources and activities to support social emotional development, healthy coping as well as crisis support for educators, students and parents.
This edition includes information about the annual contest, the monthly Hope & Justice prompt, and mindfulness exercises for educators.
- Annual Contest flyer
- Mindfulness Exercises from Campus Mind Works
This edition shares a holiday message as well as our Mental Health Thrival Kit request form and January’s Hope & Justice prompt.
- Mental Health Thrival Kits: Request copies for youth here
- Hope & Justice contest
This edition shares resources for educators to support youth mental health, our mental health journal, and the current Hope & Justice contest.
- Resources for educators, parents, and youth: CalHOPE Schools Initiative
- Mental Health Thrival Kits: Request copies for youth here
- Hope & Justice contest
This edition shares the monthly Hope & Justice prompt and mental health videos for educators to share with students.
- Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Minds Thriving Kids Videos
This edition provides free mental health resources for schools, information about the annual film contest, and a stress relief guide.
- CalHOPE’s Mental Health Resources for Schools
- California Surgeon General’s Playbook for Stress Relief for Caregivers and Kids
This edition shares October’s Hope & Justice Prompt, the mini lesson plan of the month, and back to school resources.
- Directing Change 2023 Flyer
- Hope & Justice Contest
- Mini Lesson Plans of the Month: Suicide Prevention and Superheroes and our Purpose (for grades 5-8)
- Back to School Resources
- Directing Change’s Mini Grant opportunity
This edition shares Directing Change films and handouts for back-to-school:
- Selection of Suicide Prevention PSAs
- Selection of Mental Health Matters PSAs
- Selection of Through the Lens of Culture PSAs
- Selection of Walk in Our Shoes PSAs
- Selection of LGBTQ Films and Art
This edition provides a variety of crisis resources to help youth cope with traumatic events:
- Teen Line
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
- How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings (Child Mind Institute)
- Mental Health Thrival Kit for Students and Young People
- How to Cope with Traumatic Events (Jed Foundation)
- Helping Students After a School Shooting (ASCA)
This edition shares the May Hope & Justice prompt, a wellness guide for educators, and a crisis resource for teens.
- MAEC’s Managing Mental Wellness tools
- Teen Talk App
This edition shares the April Hope & Justice prompt and lesson plan, the Suicide Prevention 101 Webinar, and the Suicide Prevention brochure in English and Spanish.
- April Prompt Mini Lesson Plans: “Cannabis Decoded”
- Suicide Prevention 101 Brochure for Parents in English and Webinar
- Suicide Prevention 101 Brochure for parents in Spanish and Webinar
This edition shares the March Hope & Justice prompt, mental health resources for students, and upcoming webinars for parents and educators.
- Hope & Justice contest
- GSA Network’s Trans and Queer Wellness Resources
- Mind Out Loud Event for students
- Child Mind Institute’s Family Resource Center
- Anti-Defamation League’s Why Visibility in Media Matters Lesson Plan
This edition shares the annual contest as well as self-care resources for school staff and students.
- Annual film contest flyer
- University of Buffalo School of Social Work Self-Care Assessments, Exercises and Activities
- Yoga for Teachers
- Campus Mind Works’ Weekly Motivator for Students
This edition shares December and January’s Hope & Justice contest as well as a film about how to address and manage trauma in the classroom.
- Redirecting Grief to Growth: A Trusted Space Film and Curriculum
- Hope & Justice contest
This edition provides classroom management tips and a wellness webinar for educators, a mental health program for schools, and an application to be a judge for Directing Change art and films.
- Resilient Practices for Educators, Staff Members, Administrators, and Teams Webinar Series
- Youth mental health program: Angst: Building Resilience
- Judging Application
This edition shares opportunities to get involved with Directing Change for students and schools, an upcoming parent webinar to manage children’s anxiety, and suicide prevention resources for parents.
- Directing Change Mini Grant Opportunity (Rural County Application here)
- Free Parent Webinar: Supporting Your Child During an Uncertain School Year: Tips for Managing Anxiety
- Suicide Prevention Resources for Parents
- Mind Out Loud Student Rep Program
This edition announces the launch of the 2022 Directing Change Contest and October’s Hope & Justice prompt. The newsletter also shares the California Department of Education Webinar Series: Building A Network of Safety for School Communities and other resources.
- Directing Change 2022 Program Flyer
- CDE Webinar Series Registration
- Blue Sky Resources for Parents
- Suicide Prevention: A Toolkit for High Schools (SAMHSA)
This edition announces September’s Hope & Justice prompt, our Art for Change event, upcoming Suicide Prevention 101 webinars, and resources for preparing for back to school.
- Suicide Prevention Activity Guide
- Back to School Resources for Educators, Students, and Parents
- Mental Health Thrival Kit
This edition announces a mental health kit for students and features a resource for LGBTQ+ youth, a stress-reduction breathing technique, and the brochure “Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents” in Spanish.
- Mental Health Guide for LGBTQ+ Youth: Be True and Be You
- Suicide Prevention 101 Brochure for parents in Spanish
This edition includes a suicide prevention training for educators, a webinar for schools, and a resource for families with tips to connect more with their kids.
- Suicide Prevention Training: LivingWorks Start Training
- Resource for Families: Talk and Play Toolkit
This edition features a fact sheet to help staff, students, and families through prolonged stress as well as activities and virtual events for youth and educators.
- Fact Sheet: Coping in Hard Times
- Featured Lesson Plan: Mental Health
- Parent Resource Guide: Raising Healthy Teens
This edition features a variety of resources including the brochure “Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents” and several webinars offered for parents and educators in partnership with the California Department of Education.
- Suicide Prevention 101 Brochure for Parents in English
- Featured Lesson Plan: Substance Use and Healthy Coping
- Featured Activity: Hope Journal Bookmark (in English and Spanish)