CENTER FOR SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVOCACY TASK FORCE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – 3.1.17

Thank you for sharing our commitment to Children’s Mental Health. We at Mental Health America of Greater Houston and the Center for School Behavioral Health are dedicated to increasing awareness, participation, education and empowerment among our members and we’re grateful for your support.

Sincerely,

Betsy Blanks

Rebecca Fowler

Annalee Gulley

Janet Pozmantier

Lauren Pursley

AWARENESS:  FIGHTING MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA

Out of Darkness Walk

On April 2, the University of Houston, along with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will host the Out of Darkness Campus Walk. The walk is an annual event to bring awareness to suicide and to memorialize family or friends who have been lost to suicide. The tradition of the campus walk at the University of Houston goes back several years and began with the College of Engineering. Participants can walk individually or in teams, and are encouraged to fundraise for the event – though it is not specifically required.

The 2017 Out of Darkness Campus Walk will occur on Sunday, April 2nd starting at 10:00 am at Lynn Eusan Park. The morning will include campus and community resource tabling, speakers, and interactive activities to memorialize a loved one. You can learn more about the Out of Darkness Campus Walk and register here.

PARTICPATION: PROMOTE MHA OF GREATER HOUSTON LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Advocacy Task Force Webinar

We will be hosting our first webinar on Thursday March 23rd, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. We will be discussing the status of our bills and what steps you can take to advocate for our legislative agenda.

To register click here.

EDUCATION: IMPORTANCE OF LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

Local School Board Elections

Did you know that 70 school districts in Texas are holding school board elections on May 6, 2017? Among those districts are Alvin ISD, Deer Park ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Galena Park ISD, Goose Creek ISD, Houston ISD and many other Greater Houston School Districts. For a complete list, click here.

Voter turnout for school board elections is notoriously low, even though local school boards have a great deal of impact on local communities.

EMPOWERMENT: TAKE ACTION IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS

Tomorrow: ONE Houston Issue Action Team Kick-Off Meeting

ONE Houston will be hosting an Issue Action Team Kick-off meeting on Thursday March 2^nd at United Way of Greater Houston, from 6:00 pm t0 8:00 pm. This meeting will form the action teams to begin working towards the goals of making schools community hubs and assisting undocumented students, as well as furthering the work to end the school to prison pipeline.

Click here to register.

ACTION ITEM OF THE WEEK

Send us your commitment to vote in your local school board election by emailing Lauren Pursley at lpursley@mhahouston.org

If you are interested in joining our Rapid Response Team (RRT), please email Lauren Pursley at lpursley@mhahouston.org