Student Toolkit
Click here for a list of mental health apps for youth.
FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
A list of children’s books to help youth develop important social, emotional, and mental wellness skills.
Keith Negley’s charming illustrations reveal heart wrenching emotions in unexpected places in this fun book that teaches children that even tough guys like wrestlers, astronauts, and superheroes have feelings too.
Children will love to recognize the feelings in Keith Negley’s bold illustrations which accompany a fun-to-read aloud narrative.
Children’s Mental Health Emotional E-book Library
This e-book library donated, by Capstone Interactive, has excellent books for children that help build social emotional skills and initiate conversations around mental well being. These e-books have unlimited access with multiple users.
Site username: mhahouston
Site password: houston
A children’s book written to help children and grown-ups (parents, teachers, and other important adults) understand how stress can affect children and ways to help them. The book is available in Arabic, English, Spanish and Turkish.
Watch these videos to learn how KB, Josh, Milton, and their friends deal with kids who bully. After watching each video, take a quiz to see how much you know about bullying.
FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Critical Years – A Series from the Mental Health Channel
The Center is grateful for our partnership with the Mental Health Channel that allows us to share wonderful content. This series focuses on young adults dealing with transition and mental health challenges.
Ideas for Building a Healthy Self-Image and Improving Self-Esteem
14 steps (accompanied by memes!) for building a strong sense of self.
Mind Your Mind: Reach out, Get help, Give Help
This interactive website promotes mental wellness for youth by providing strategies to maintain positive mental health and tips for coping with life stress. It is also co-created by youth!
Misconceptions of Depression – TedX
A TedX talk by a graduating high school senior regarding depression in teenagers, talking to adults, common misconceptions, and more.
This guide covers the signs and symptoms of teenage depression, and gives information on getting help, how to talk to parents, and more.
The Truth About Teen Depression – TedX
Through her own story, social activist Megan Shinnick points out the misconceptions and actual importance of depression, as well as the societal flaws responsible for the increase in the illness among teens
www.youngwomenshealth.org and www.youngmenshealthsite.org
Center for Young Women’s Health and Young Men’s Health: These websites provides a series of guides on emotional health, including on test anxiety, depression, bullying, and eating disorders.
Geared at young adults, this question and answer website contains a large database of questions about a variety of concerns surrounding emotional health.
The “Your Feelings” section of this website offers guidance to teenage girls on recognizing a mental health problem, getting help, and talking to parents.
This website provides information on specific mental health disorders, as well as resources to help teens make safe plans when feeling suicidal, and helpful tips on how to relax.
Providing a safe place for teens who need honest and accurate information, this website provides resources on mental health issues.
Geared towards teenagers, this website provides learning tools on a variety of mental illnesses, videos, and resources for friends.
APPS AND TECH SERVICES
Beacon 2.0: Beacon is a portal to online applications (websites, mobile applications and internet support groups) for mental disorders reviewed and rated by health experts. https://beacon.anu.edu.au/
Health Talk: This website reflects the lived experience of mental health conditions, including research-based modules with hours of recording and analysis. www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/mental-health
Mindfulness for Teens: This website has resources to help teens use mindfulness to handle stress and includes apps to practice meditation and guided mediation recordings. http://mindfulnessforteens.com/
Mood 247: A text messaging system that provides an easy way to record how you’re feeling and tracks your daily moods to share with friends, family, or a health professional. https://www.mood247.com/
Strength of Us: An online community designed to inspire young adults impacted by mental health issues to think positive, stay strong and achieve goals through peer support and resource sharing. http://strengthofus.org/
HELPLINES
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): Visit www.thecalmzone.net or UK residents call 0800-58-58-58
Crisis Text Line: Visit www.crisistextline.org/ or Text “START” to 741-741
Lifeline Crisis Chat: Visit www.crisischat.org/ to chat with crisis centers around the U.S.
List of International Suicide Hotlines: Visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html
Love is Respect: Visit www.loveisrespect.org/, text “LOVEIS” to 22522, or call 1-866-331-9474 to talk with a peer advocate to prevent and end abusive relationships
National Eating Disorder Association: Visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ or call 1-800-931-2237
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : Visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
ADVOCACY
Active Minds: The leading nonprofit that empowers college students to speak openly about mental health, Active Minds aims to educate others and encourage help-seeking. http://activeminds.org/
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network: GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. This website provides resources on finding GSA Chapters, and tools on how to establish or re-establish a GSA. http://www.glsen.org/
StopBullying.Gov: This website offers resources specifically for teens to prevent bullying in their schools and communities and provides resources for those being bullied. http://www.stopbullying.gov/
Teens Against Bullying: Created by and for teens, this website is a place for middle and high school students to find ways to address bullying, take action, be heard, and own an important social cause. http://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/
Time to Change: As England’s biggest program to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination, this advocacy website provides ways to join the campaign and get others involved. www.time-to-change.org.uk/\
Youth Resource: Created by and for LGBTQ young people, this website provides information and resources on self-harm and suicide, personal stories and accounts, and useful hotlines. www.youthresource.com/
*Materials were created or identified as resources by the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston.
