The OC Minds Matter Club created a self-help booklet for fellow OCHS students this spring, and that mental health resource caught the attention of the national Our Minds Matter organization.
Our Minds Matter is a student-led movement working to prevent teen suicide.
The OC Minds Matter booklet is featured in a story on the Our Minds Matter website. The booklet, titled “Mind Over Matter,” includes topics such as mental health education, coping strategies, peer-to-peer support and positivity. It is accompanied by a color book.
The students began working on the booklet in January, under the supervision of Angelina Montello, OCHS Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselor and the club’s sponsor.
The website article notes that the booklet “answers commonly asked questions, including the difference between mental health and mental illness and what to expect in therapy.”
The goal of the booklet is to provide information and resources to students in need from a teen perspective, Ms. Montello. The OC Minds Matter Club plans to release a new self-help booklet every year, providing information for different audiences, including parents and younger children.
The OC Minds Matter Club also engages students through school displays about mental health displays, awareness campaigns and fundraisers.
The club encourages students to have meaningful and open conversations regarding mental health throughout the year. Members of the club use education, initiatives, outreach and wellness activities to promote mental health awareness. By doing so, the students are helping to reduce stigma around mental health and foster a culture of compassion at OCHS.
The OC Minds Matter Club has a full executive board and a dedicated team of members. In addition to monthly full-club meetings, board members meet quarterly.