A Message from VARA Alum

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS BLAST

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May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to spotlighting the importance of mental well-being. As someone deeply passionate about destigmatizing mental health and equipping coaches working with young athletes with the necessary tools and resources, I am excited to share the second email from Heidi Robbins, a VARA Alum and Psychologist, for an educational series focused solely on this topic. Over the series, Heidi will provide insights, strategies, tips, and tools to empower coaches, athletes, and individuals on their mental health journey. Join us as we champion mental health awareness and resilience.

RESOURCES * RESOURCES * RESOURCES

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, Heidi has put together a comprehensive list of resources for coaches, clubs, athletes, and parents. These links provide valuable information and support for mental health.

Remember, our commitment to mental health doesn't end with this campaign. Let's continue to check in on our friends, coaches, parents, and athletes, letting them know that we are here for them.

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Mental Health Resources

Resources specific to athletes:

Morgan’s Message is a student-athlete specific non-profit with mission to eliminate stigma around mental health. There are athlete ambassador opportunities, links to podcasts, and other resources on this website

Morgan’s Message

NCAA has a resource page with some good fact sheets and educational videos to support the overall health and well-being of student-athletes

NCAA Mental Health Resources

Founded by a snowboard athlete at Killington Mountain School Ride for Mental Health is a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about teen mental health within the ski and snowboarding community. Ride for Mental Health does a podcast called Tell Me More that features conversations with experts, athletes, and individuals who have overcome mental health struggles in an effort to have important conversations and face stigma head on

Ride for Mental Health

Accessing Outpatient Therapy in Vermont:

Keep in mind it can take time to find the right provider. Word of mouth is a great way to get connected with a good therapist. You can also contact your insurance carrier for a list of in-network providers or work with primary care doctors to ger a referral list. Here are two places you can search for a therapist in the state of VT:

Psychology Today

Vermont Counseling Network

Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention Resources:

National Suicide Hotline can be reached by calling or texting 988

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

You will find a list of local mental health agencies in Vermont with 24/7 crisis support here:

VT Crisis Services

Vermont Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support and information via the medium people already use and trust: text.

Vermont 2-1-1 is another place you can call to find local resources

Substance Abuse Resources

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a national helpline that is free, confidential and 24/7. It offers referrals and information services for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This resource is available in multiple languages.

SAMHSA

Parent UP VT has resources for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse in Vermont.

Parent UP VT

Eating Disorder Treatment in Vermont:

Kahm Center offers Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Treatment for eating disorder recovery

Kahm Center

The Adams Center for Body and Mind

LGBTQ+

The Trevor Project the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning young people under 25.

The Trevor Project

Outright Vermont is an organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth in various ways. Check out their website for full list of resources.

Outright Vermont

Social Media and Mental Health

Surgeon General Tip Sheet for Parents on Social Media

Tips for Adults Who Work with Youth

Want some training?

Check out Mental Health First Aid training. This is a great resource for those coaches, mentors, or parents working with athletes. Mental Health First Aid provides critical training opportunities and a certificate for course completion. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/

Contribution by: Heidi Robbins VARA Alum & Licensed Psychologist

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-BIO-

I grew up skiing for the Pico Ski Club and moved on to KMS for high school. I was very supported by VARA along the way! I’ve stayed connected to ski racing by coaching on weekends at Pico, and for the past 6 years, I’ve been at Cochran's. I graduated from St. Lawrence University with a BA in psychology with a minor in sports studies and then went on to earn a Master's in Clinical Psychology at Saint Michael’s College. I competed on the NCAA circuit for St. Lawrence and Saint Michaels due to an injury that gave me an extra year of eligibility to ski in grad school. The mental struggle of recovering from injury was a driving force in becoming a therapist. I became a licensed psychologist in 2016 and started my own practice in 2018. My practice focuses on children and young adults with a special interest in working with athletes dealing with a range of mental health issues. I now live in the Mad River Valley with my wife and 2-year-old daughter.

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Mental Health Awareness Month

Thank You, Sponsors!

[VARA] | [802.236.4695] | [julie@vara.org] | [vara.org]

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