Celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week!
Celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week: May 5 through May 11
By Alex Bahrawy
Children’s Mental Health Week is May 5 through May 11. In this guest post, we invite Alex Bahrawy, Director of Marketing and Communications at The Baker Center for Children and Families, a National Center partner, to write about the mission of the initiative and the opportunity to support innovations in the treatment of children’s mental health conditions.
What is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week?
The goal of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week is to spread awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and the need for services that support recovery, resilience, and success for youth. It’s the perfect opportunity for all different types of community members to come together in support of effective and progressive treatment of children’s mental health conditions.
Why does it matter?
Mental health is particularly important to the work of the Center, as research has shown us that the vast majority of kids within the child welfare system struggle with a mental health condition. Many children who have experienced child welfare may struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, separation and loss, and grief. These children and their families require clinical services that are specialized to their unique needs. This is why the National Center is working to build collaborations between child welfare and mental health, enhance workforce competence, and improve accessibility of quality services. Your participation in Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week can help these kids feel seen, heard, and supported and allows us to advocate on their behalf. Involvement in an awareness week can lead to better outcomes and more effective treatments for kids in need.
How can I celebrate?
- Share your support on social media.
- Educate yourself and others on children’s mental health. The Knowledge Hub has many great resources!
- Fundraise to support children’s mental health.
- Share your personal story to build awareness.
- Attend a caregiver or family support group.
- Advocate for children in need at school.