south central Region San Antonio, TX
Our chapter hosted a seminar, focused on heart health and mental health for teens and tweens. We were pleased to have three distinguished guests, including a cardiologist, a licensed psychologist and a certified yoga instructor. To begin, the psychologist spoke to the teens and tweens about reducing stress, goal setting, mental illness and self esteem. She discussed useful methods of coping with challenges commonly faced by teens. The cardiologist then discussed heart health. Students learned about the cultural aspects of heart disease, as well as the benefits of nutrition and exercise. The yoga instructor then led students in a yoga session, to teach the importance of meditation and relaxation. The teens and tweens enjoyed nutritious, homemade snacks after the yoga exercise. They also received recipe cards, encouraging them to make healthy snacks at home. At the conclusion of the activity, the students set healthy goals for eating, exercise and sleep.
southeastern Region Albany, GA
“According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of mental illness... Mental illness was the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults.” In our chapter’s quest to drive awareness of mental illness, the Albany Chapter participated in its first ever NAMI walk! our chapter is raising funds to support NAMIwalks.org of Southwest Georgia and joined the walk in Maultrie, GA to raise awareness for mental health on October 28, 2017!
Fayette County Area, GA
Supporting the national programming thrust of Health, Fayette County Area Chapter Teens selected an activity promoting mental health awareness. On September 17, 2017 at Society Studios in Atlanta, FCAC teens helped plan and execute a public service announcement video and participated in a professional photo shoot with the mental health campaign, Silence the Shame. Shanti Das, a music industry executive, launched the Silence the Shame movement to uncover the shame and stigma of mental health disorders. In preparation for the event, the teens reviewed the websites for the National Alliance on Mental Health and Silence the Shame. The objectives for the teens were to gain an understanding of mental health, recognize the importance of “seeing the person, not the illness,” insight into video production, and steps involved for a creating a photo shoot. Fayette County Area Chapter teens were proud to serve as leaders for this campaign.
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