In this issue:
BIG News for the New Year!

I hope this school year is going well and that 2018 will bring good things!  

This is only Minding Your Mind's second year in Massachusetts and, to date, we have booked over 200 presentations, as schools and youth organizations are making mental health education a high priority. This response is incredibly heartening and shows that our communities recognize the value Minding Your Mind brings to students and the adults in their lives.

Because of this overwhelmingly positive response, we currently are booked through the end of March. The good news is that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and now is a great time to schedule one of our programs to come to your organization.  If you are interested in scheduling one or more of our programs including the  Young Adult Speaker Program for students, Just Talk About It, or  QPR Suicide Prevention Training for staff and/or parents for  after April 1 , please go directly to our website to submit a  Book A Speaker  form.  

I'm thrilled to share with you that we now offer Introduction to Mindfulness in Massachusetts! This three-part series focuses on understanding the benefits of mindfulness and training teachers and administrators on how to create a mindful classroom and school environment. There is a fee associated with this program, and availability is immediate. If you need more information before booking any of our presentations, please don't hesitate to contact me

During this season when we consider our blessings, we can't help but think of how grateful we are to have such a dedicated and talented group of speakers who, everyday, make a difference by generously sharing their stories to young audiences. Recently, Carl Antisell, one of those speakers, addressed a student group at Brookline High. Here is what Mary Minott, a social worker for Brookline Schools, had to say about Carl's presentation:

"This was the best presentation of a speaker dealing with mental health/substance misuse that we have had in my 20 years of working for the Brookline Schools.  In 45 minutes he kept the audience's rapt attention and covered every key point I was hoping he would:  From the early years of struggling with anxiety, to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including anger, which really connected with some of the students, to getting caught up in heavy substance use, to getting into treatment, and advocating for therapy and getting help, to finding your passion and healthy coping mechanisms."

We love hearing feedback like this from schools. Consider the impact a Minding Your Mind speaker can have on your students and community, and please feel free to contact me to discuss how we can work together to promote mental health.

Jan

Jan Latorre-Stiller
Massachusetts Regional Director
781-285-6696

In the Spotlight

Minding Your Mind: All About Us
"Minding Your Mind: All About Us"
Watch the New Video from Minding Your Mind

2017 marks Minding Your Mind's 10th year of providing mental health education in schools and communities throughout the U.S. In our first year, we conducted about 30 presentations in the greater Philadelphia area. Last year, that number approached 1,300 presentations across the U.S., and we successfully established a strong and dedicated presence in Massachusetts. In honor of this milestone, we produced this video to share the story behind Minding Your Mind, and highlight some of the individuals who have supported our efforts every step of the way. Please take a few moments to learn more and meet some of our young adult speakers. More...
Linda Price, M.Ed., CAGS, E-RYT
MYM Mindfulness Comes to Massachusetts

We are thrilled to announce that we are now accepting requests for "Introduction to Mindfulness," a three-part program designed to empower teachers and staff to cultivate a mindful school community. The series provides background on the history and benefits of mindfulness, and instruction on how to introduce practices into a classroom. Schools have the option  to plan for and implement additional programming, including a session on coping with teacher stress.

Facilitating "Introduction to Mindfulness" is Linda PriceWith twenty-five years of experience in working with schools, Linda understands the stress level and demands placed on students and school personnel. She has combined this knowledge with her Mindfulness training to create opportunities for teaching schools, organizations, and parent groups about how to create a personal Mindfulness practice for self-care, as well as how to share Mindfulness with students. In addition to her work with Minding Your Mind, as a Licensed Educational Psychologist from the Board of Allied Mental Health, Linda continues to provide individual and group counseling and Mindful Parenting at the Center for Integrative Counseling and Wellness in Hingham, MA.

To schedule "Introduction to Mindfulness" for your school, please complete this Book A Speaker Form. If you have questions or what to discuss options, please contact Mollye Readinger-Scott, director of outreach, at mollye@mindingyourmind.org
Where We Have Been

Our thanks to these schools and organizations that have invited us into their communities to further discussions about mental health.

Andover High School
Arlington High School
Ashland High School
Bedford High School
Belmont High School
The Berkshire School
Billerica Memorial High School
Bishop Fenwick High School
Boston College High School
Brookline High School
Brooks School
Burlington High School
Cambridge Public Schools
Cape Cod Regional Technical High
Dover-Sherborn High School
Dracut High School
Eagle Hill School
Fisher College
Georgetown Middle/High School
Groton Dunstable High School
Haverhill Public Schools
Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy
Hingham High School
Hopkinton High School
Independence Academy
Innovation Middle School
John Glenn Middle School
The Landmark School
Leominster High School
Lexington High School
Lowell Public Schools
Lynnfield Middle School
Malden High School
Matignon High School
McCloskey Middle School
McGlynn Middle School

Medfield High School
Medway High School
Mendon Upton Regional Schools
Methuen High School
Middleborough High School
Miss Hall's School
Natick High School
The Newman School
Newton South High School
North Reading Public Schools
O'Maley Middle School
Old Rochester Middle & High Schools
Pierce Middle School
The Pike School
Rising Tide Charter School
Salemwood School
Shrewsbury High School
Swampscott High School
St. Mark's School
St. Peter's School
Tewksbury Memorial High School
Thayer Academy
The Tremont School
Waldorf High School
Waltham High School
Wareham High School
Watertown High School
Wellesley High School
West Bridgewater Schools
Westwood High School
Wilbraham and Monson School
Winchester High School
Winthrop Public Schools
Worcester Academy
Worcester Public Schools

Come See Us

Minding Your Mind Young Adult Speakers and facilitators will be presenting at the following conferences and professional development events. Please follow the links for more information on how to register and see one of our programs for yourself.

February 6, 2018
Little Theater at Westwood High School

April 27, 2018 
Westboro, MA 01581
What People Are Saying

" The speakers provided to us from Minding Your Mind were outstanding. Both Jon and Jordan shared their stories with grace and courage and our students listened with rapt attention. The speakers managed to get important messages across in a way that was meaningful and serious, but accompanied this with equal doses of humor and relevant anecdotes. After the presentations, we debriefed as a community and gave students the opportunity to share what they had learned. It was obvious from the follow up activities that students had gained a lot from hearing the speakers. We are very appreciative of the MYM organization for their help and support!"

William Barrett, Head of High School, Landmark School

Read more...

In the News

Child Mind Institute Summit
"Kids learn how to take care of their bodies. They should learn to take care of their brains, too."

Secretary Hillary Clinton joined Dr. Harold Koplewicz for a Child Mind Institute summit on child and adolescent mental health, moderated by Willow Bay. They discussed how brain development in the teen years poses special risks - as well as opportunities - and the importance of helping parents, teachers and teenagers themselves recognize the signs of mental health disorders.  Clinton argued that mental health should be taught in middle schools and high schools, and that advocates should "lobby like crazy to get it into teacher training, into school programming." Added Dr. Koplewicz: "Kids learn how to take care of their bodies. They should learn to take care of their brains, too." 

Information on the  highlights of the summit, including a video of the entire program, a downloadable report on the risks  and opportunities of adolescence, tips  on how to talk to teenagers about making good choices, and how using social media affects teenagers are provided at childmind.org.    Continue Reading...


Partnership Profile: Improbable Players

It takes a village to accomplish many things, including raising awareness and ending the stigma of mental health issues. Minding Your Mind seeks and welcomes collaborative relationships with organizations that complement our programs and share our mission. Improbable Players is one such partnership. 

Improbable Players uses theater performances and workshops to address addiction, alcoholism, and the opioid epidemic. The performances are 25-45 minutes long, followed by a talkback/Q&A. Workshops offer students the space and tools to combat social pressures and find coping strategies that work for them. The plays are based on true stories and performed by people in recovery. 

The effective and novel methods of the Improbable Players have captured and held the attention of audiences from middle schools to detoxes. The goal is to end stigma and stop addiction before it starts. Help achieve this mission. To bring Improbable Players to your community, just reach out to co-director Andy Short at 781.541.0510 or players@improbableplayers.org.
What You Can Do

Share Your Story to Inspire Others

The success that we have had in Massachusetts has brought us together with many young adults who have similar experiences to those shared by our speakers. We are always interested in getting to know individuals who have come through a mental health crisis, are in a positive recovery process, and would like to share their stories. If you are or know a college student or young professional who is interested in meaningful advocacy in the mental health field, please contact Jan Latorre-Stiller at 781.285.6696, or visit the Employment section of our website.

Contact Us

Jan Latorre-Stiller
Massachusetts Regional Director
(p)  781.285.6696
Karen Albert
Massachusetts Community Education & 
Outreach Manager
(p)  617.431.3240

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About Minding Your Mind
Minding Your Mind's primary objective is to provide mental health education to adolescents, teens and young adults, their parents, teachers, and school administrators. Our goal is to reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues. The behaviors include, but are not limited to: self-harm, violence, substance abuse, eating disorders, unhealthy relationships, and suicidal ideation. Minding Your Mind's programs move away from crisis-based response to prevention through education. Our evidence-based programs are for students and the adults in their lives to learn ways to identify symptoms, assure them they aren't alone in their feelings, and provide language they can use to ask for help. Learn more at www.mindingyourmind.org.