Awareness Week 2012
Chapter and State Organization Activities
2011
Below, you’ll find some of the activities our chapters and state organizations planned for 2011 — amazing ideas that you can use for your planning efforts in 2012!
Florida – Sarasota Family Support Network is planning many exciting events around the week. Here are the events we have in the works.
Friends and Family Walk
Art Contest
Speaker Event
Art and Awareness Open House
Check out all of the wonderful community activities for Children’s Mental Health Awareness in Sarasota, FL at www.allaboutsarasotakids.com
For more information contact
Michelle Moreno, MPA
Sarasota Family Support Network
The Florida Center
4620 17th Street
Sarasota, FL 34235
office: (941) 371-8820 x 1025
Idaho - We have mailed over 850 packets to ALL of the Idaho schools asking students to “Wear Green”. Also in the mailer was a “news release” and 25 green ribbon stickers. We also had the Governor sign a proclamation and included a copy of that as well.
On May 3rd, each of the Health and Welfare offices will set up an awareness day table in which we will partner to provide staff for. We are holding a fundraiser that night at a local restaurant in which we get 20% of all the proceeds.
Download three great products from the Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health!
Idaho PosterAwareness Day stickerSuper Kid Poster!
Iowa - Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Proclamation signing April 28 at 1:30 in the Capitol Rotunda. Please everyone come, bring your kids, your moms and dads, your neighbors, service providers, community members, police and sheriff officers, school personal (make it a field trip to the Capitol!). Lets show support for Children’s Mental Health. Also there will be resource tables available!Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week materials are available now at www.iffcmh.org
If you work with families who don’t have a computer please download and share with them. We also have CD’s available with the same materials on them. We also have ribbons and other materials available just e-mail or call with requests. Read below for more information.Please join us in wearing a green ribbon during the week of May 1-7 to help bring awareness to the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral and social disability and their families across Iowa.
Go to www.iffcmh.org and click on the Children’s Mental Health Awareness and check out all the resources that are available. We will also have ribbons, CD’s, notepads, bookmarks, coasters, early childhood books and games, CD’s for military families and other materials available. Please contact us if you would like to hand out any to your providers, community members and other family members. Also ask your mayor, your superintendent, provider, agency, faith community etc. to sign a Children’s Metal Health Awareness Week Proclamation! We would love to be there when the proclamations are signed…just let us know. Share the pictures you take during your children’s mental health awareness activities..we will post them on our website. Call if you need help organizing an event or proclamation hosting. We are available to assist you..just ask! Call 319-462-2187 for any assistance to request materials.
Maine
During the entire Month of May, G.E.A.R. Parent Network, Maine’s National Fedaration of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH), will conduct a membership drive for NFFCMH membership. Membership is free.
May 2, 2011:
Tail Gate Kickoff
Office Of Child and Family Services, Augusta, Maine
9a.m -11a.m.
Tail Gate Kickoff to Childrens’s Mental Health Awareness Week
Statewide Invitation to a combined list of families and providers via email delivery to over 8,000 individuals.
May 3, 2011
Statehouse Hall of Flags Events
Maine Statehouse, Augusta, Maine
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
G.E.A.R. Participation includes providing speakers, coordination of the statewide poster contest and production of the poster used to advertise the Hall of Flags event, and participation on the planning committee. At this event: Families and Youth tell stories related to the current theme of Children’s Mental Health Awareness. For 2011, the theme is “Resiliency.” Other partner organizations of the Maine Alliance of Family Organizations report on their work for Childrens Mental Health Awarness week. All G.E.A.R. products produced by families and staff, to include National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health templated products to be mailed to the NFFCMH.
May 21, 2011
What Families and Youth Want Conference (Download the Poster!)
Howard Johnson’s, Portland, Maine
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
G.E.A.R. Parent Network, and Youth MOVE Maine co-sponsor and organize a family and youth mental health conference, “What Families and Youth Want Conference” with funding provided by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Service, Office of Children’s Behavioral Health Services. Conference Entertainment support is provided through an Amerigroup Grant. This conference is planned by family and youth for family and youth, with support from Maine Alliance of Family Organizations and other Youth Organizations.
Download The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz for great cards that you can hand out! Version 1 / Version 2
Download a creative package cover for holding seeds – Wonderful idea!Over 30 thousand pieces of CMHA materials with family created materials delivered throughout the state and 130 CMHA Toolkits delivered in person by G.E.A.R. F.A.C.E.S. Council members. Several new materials self created by family members to be sent to National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health for others to use as they choose.For more information contact Carol Tiernan, G.E.A.R. Parent Network Program Director, 1-800-264-9224 / www.gearparentnetwork.org
Nebraska – NAMI NEBRASKA’S VOICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH in collaboration with the A.S.K. (Alphabet Soup for Kids) Program will be holding a Candlelight Vigil on the Bob Kerry Bridge – a walking bridge that crosses from Nebraska to Iowa. After a short program where the Omaha Mayor issues a proclamation – we will walk across the bridge carrying lighted candles. We have invited NAMI Council Bluffs Iowa and others from Iowa to meet us in the middle of the bridge over the Missouri River.
New Jersey -Take a look at what is happening in New Jersey.
Visit the Family Support Organization of Essex County and get involved!
Don’t miss a great learning opportunity offered by the Family Support Organization of Bergen County titled Your Pediatrician and You: A Partnership for Your Child’s Mental Health. The event will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2011 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Bergen County Technical Schools, Teterboro campus. Information tables will be available at 6 p.m. Download the poster for all of the details!
Rhode Island -Take a look at the flyer we used to market our very first fundraiser (which went very well). This was a great opportuntiy to promote Children’s Mental Health Awareness. Even though the event was in April, everyone that attended was given a green ribbon and learned about it’ significance.
Also, take a look at the flyer we are using to advertise our CMH awareness day forum.
Texas
Two great resources from the Texas Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health -
Your Guide to Understanding Mental Illness
Massachusetts - Check out what PPAL is doing in Massachusetts by going to their website at www.ppal.net. They expect the Governor to sign a proclamation this week and are sending out materials all over the state including a poster, calendar of facts, calendar of events, bookmarks and ribbons.
Missouri - Download the beautiful Awareness Week poster from MO Families for Families – Celebrating 20 years of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week!
North Carolina - North Carolina is going full throttle out this year for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. In fact, there will be activities throughout the month! NC Families United, NAMINC and many many other local partners are gearing up for the event! If you visit our special website ncradletocareer.org you will see a number of great activities planned. We have the Governor, many local Mayors and City Council members, and the state School Commissioner all signing Proclamations recognizing Children’s Mental Health Awareness. We have local Mental Health Resource fairs, Dominos Pizza box flyer campaigns and TV News Crews scheduled to cover the event. Best of all we have over 30,000 balloons and green bubbles ready to launch from the coast to the mountains on Tuesday the 3rd at 9:30. We will gladly send pictures! Follow their progress on the statewide Awareness Week website – nccradletocareer.org
2010
Below, you’ll find some of the activities our chapters and state organizations planned for 2010 — amazing ideas that you can use for your planning efforts in 2012!
Connecticut
- Families United for Children’s Mental Heath ( www.FamiliesUnitedCT.org) – Families United supported FLAC (Family Leadership Advisory Council) and their efforts on (3) projects:
- Feelings of our Lives Book - The “Feelings of Our Lives” project connected with children and youth in various age groups to draw/write about ‘feelings’ they experience in their lives. The book had 34 pictures/poems. Each participant received a $5.00 Blockbuster Gift Card. The cover winner received a $30.00 gift card. A young adult and a caregiver from FLAC worked with the local Drop In Learning Center to create the book. Support was provided by Families United for Children’s Mental Health.
- Family Involvement Survey - The Family Involvement Survey was a compilation of ten questions used to discover what resources families were using in Southeastern CT and identify what other supports are needed. The survey was done with support from Families United for Children’s Mental Health and had 52 responses. Responses were positive concerning involvement within the school system. Caregivers wanted to see support for PPTs, resources, and respite.
- Stories of Family Involvement - The “Stories of Family Involvement” project included a DVD put together by FLAC to use during a presentation to the Southeast Mental Health System of Care on the importance of Family Involvement. With support from Families United for Children’s Mental Health, the DVD captured several voices and opinions of adults, young adults, and children.
- Additionally, Peer Mentoring, offered through Families United (funded by SAMHSA through Building Blocks) provided families support with their family-driven care plans on site, in the community, and within school based settings.
- Some of the efforts are captured on the FLAC website. However, in the event you’d like additional details, please feel free to contact the Youth Co-Chair of FLAC and Families United’s Youth Involvement Consultant, Raeanna Smolenski @ 860-443-0044 or FLAC’s lead parent chair, Rachel Smolenski @ 860-333-7253. Rachel is also a prior employee of Families United and remains a Family Advocate in the truest sense.
Georgia
- Georgia Parent Support Network provided mini-grants for chapters to sponsor events chapter events include:
- Play for school children (Douglas County Chapter)
- Prayer Breakfast ( Dekalb County Chapter)
- Educational community lunch (Fulton County Chapter)
- GSPN newsletter dedicated to Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
- Awareness Letter to all Georgia State and National Legislators.
- Green Ribbon/Card Campaign reaching 3,000 Georgian’s
Massachusetts
- Nassau County Awareness Day 2010
- Childrens Mental Health Awareness Month
- Awareness Day budget
- MHA DAy PLan-update 3-15
- Awareness brochure
- Awareness brochure Spanish
- Save the date-Awareness Day
- Save the date-Awareness Day Spanish
- Awareness Invite
- Express Your Feelngs May 5 Children Mental Health Fair Activity
- May 5 2010 Comm Info Fair at NC FSS FRC
Missouri
- MO Families 4 Families
New Jersey
- Family Support Organization of Bergen County, NJ
- Statewide Parent Advocacy Network – www.spannj.org
- The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network kicked off Children’s Mental Health Awareness week with a regional conference for Parent Training and Information Centers in Region 1 (NY-NJ-CT-RI-NH-ME-MASS).
- We also facilitated a statewide parent leadership workshop for parents of young children with mental health and behavioral challenges in English and Spanish.
- We presented a workshop on addressing challenging behavior in the early childhood classroom at the statewide Health in Child care conference.
- We participated in the Board retreat of the NJ Alliance of Family Support Organizations, the FFCMH State Organization.
- We also testified about early childhood issues before the NJ Council on Young Children. Finally, we facilitated meetings of our three pilot county Family Councils, a collaboration between SPAN, Parents Anonymous, and the NJ Alliance of Family Support Organizations, providing leadership development for families and helping to connect them to input and systems change opportunities.
New York
- Better Days Ahead, Rochester, NY
South Carolina
- Federation of Families of South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
- Vermont Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
Wyoming
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From the News:
National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week!
31st Jan, 2012
The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health declares the first full week in May (May 6 – 12, 2012) as National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. ...
