Compassion Action e-News: April/May 2024

April/May 2024 | Volume 4, Number 3

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the New England MHTTC's School Mental Health Initiative will recognize its third annual Take HEART Awareness Week, May 6-10.

Through this annual public awareness campaign, we promote collaborations that support the mental health and well-being of everyone in the school building. This effort connects to our Healthcare workers and Educators Addressing and Reducing Trauma (HEART) Collective—launched to support positive mental health and well-being in school-based settings.

From May 6-10, visit our HEART website. Access and share daily calls to action, talking points, thank you cards, infographics, and more!

News and Updates

Take HEART and Take Action: Download Our Take HEART Toolkit

Our campaign toolkit includes talking points, infographics, and promotional materials highlighting the importance of comprehensive school-based mental health systems of care and collaborations with partners who can deliver enhanced wraparound services.

With a deepened awareness of trauma, we should be working to support healing, resilience, and recovery for all, with a particular emphasis on at-risk youth and their families, as well as, school staff suffering from burnout and fatigue.

Use our toolkit to help you spread the word and to inform healthy discussions about mental health in the month of May and beyond.

Community of Practice Opportunities for New England Grantees

We are excited to offer all New England Project AWARE grantees an opportunity to participate in a regional Community of Practice (CoP).

Through monthly, one-hour sessions open to all staff from Project AWARE grantees in New England, CoP members can access technical assistance, share strategies and successes, receive peer support related to challenges, and participate in networking about their project.

If you are New England Project AWARE staff member, look for an email about the scheduling of our CoP and an invitation to join the "members-only" channel of our Groupsite platform.

Training and Technical Assistance

Register for school mental health training and technical assistance events in our Training and Events Calendar. Find additional school mental health resources in our Products and Resources Catalog, and reach out to the New England MHTTC for additional support.

April

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ET

Social Emotional Learning for Social Workers Join Springfield College MSW students for a virtual discussion and Q&A about social emotional learning (SEL) with Dr. Jean Conway—who brings over three decades of dedicated service as a social worker within the Worcester public school system supporting students' social and emotional well-being to this training opportunity.

April

11:30 am - 1:00 pm ET

Youth Cannabis Use: Harm Reduction Strategies Learn more about the role of potency in cannabis products, review risks associated with youth cannabis use, and discuss strategies to mitigate potential harms through a harm reduction approach.

May

13-15

11:00 am - 1:00 pm ET

2024 Innovations Regional Training Event Cultivating Inclusion and Engagement with Communities of Color

Learn more about innovative approaches to supporting better outcomes for those who provide care as well as those seeking and receiving behavioral health care in communities of color in New England!

Practical Guidance, Resources, and Community

Video Library

Professional Development

Featured Collaboration

Community Builder

Communicate, Collaborate, Connect

The New England MHTTC School Mental Health Initiative is funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Stay Connected

Please distribute our resources to your contact list. We hope you encourage others to subscribe to the latest school mental health news in the New England region.