National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (Awareness Day) is a day for SAMHSA and the initiatives and communities it supports to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Awareness Day raises awareness of effective programs for children's mental health needs; demonstrates how children's mental health initiatives promote positive youth development, recovery, and resilience; and shows how children with mental health needs thrive in their communities.
The theme for this year's national event is Thriving in the Community, with a special emphasis on how high school youth who receive the services they need are more likely to have positive outcomes, such as better grades, and less likely to have negative outcomes, such as involvement with the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Below you will find:
About the Awareness Day Youth Action
What is "BUST IT"?
BUST IT (“IT” being stigma) is the youth demonstration designed to draw attention to the mental health needs of children and youth throughout the United States. The objective is to provide a “contact” experience that reinforces the fact that children’s mental health is an issue that impacts all youth in one way or another, with the longer term goal of reducing the stigma that is often associated with having a mental health need.
Studies have shown that stigma is the greatest barrier to children and youth with mental health needs and their families seeking help. BUST IT actions across the country will serve to demonstrate solidarity among children and youth who have, or are at risk of having, a mental health need.
BUST IT will take place on Awareness Day and comprise the following components:
Youth groups in all time zones across the country will conduct their BUST IT activity simultaneously on Thursday, May 7, at 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT/11 a.m. MDT/10 a.m. PDT.
BUST IT will begin with groups of youth standing in silence for 30 seconds. During this time the youth will display signs that detail myths about mental health challenges. For instance, a sign might read, “It’s just a phase,” while another might read, “He’s just trying to get attention.”
Then the youth will turn the signs around to display facts about children’s mental health, featuring data that demonstrate how youth can and do thrive when they receive comprehensive mental health services.
The final activity will feature youth blowing bubbles, which symbolize stigma. Once the bubbles pop, the youth will shout, “BUST IT!”
Why get involved?
BUST IT is a way for communities show support for the total well-being of all children and youth and to rally against the stigma associated with having a mental health need. Since the activities are scheduled to take place during school hours, it creates a unique opportunity for communities to partner with their local schools, youth groups, and organizations that serve children and youth in the community on Awareness Day.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant sites are joining system of care communities in staging this youth action for Awareness Day across the country.
How can I participate?
Contact your local system of care or Safe Schools/Healthy Students site and encourage them to participate.
Sign the pledge form (Word) and fax it to 202-331-9420. Once you agree to participate in BUST IT, you will receive additional information and materials necessary to stage the youth action.
Where can I get more information about BUST IT?
Contact Lorrin Gehring at lgehring@ffcmh.org.