Pasadena Public Library – Youth Network, 3\/3\/2021<\/b><\/p>\n
In today\u2019s meeting we will plan for mental health month. As many of you voiced the need for more mental health services especially in the last several months, today you\u2019ll have the opportunity to shape some of those services for yourself and for your classmates and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p> AGENDA<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ICEBREAKER<\/span><\/p>\n How do you handle stress or shocking news?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you handle it well, what is your technique for getting through it?<\/span><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t handle it well, how do you think you can improve it?<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll have about 3 minutes to introduce yourself to your partner and then talk about this question.<\/span><\/p>\n When we return, you\u2019ll introduce your partner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Lets keep some of those responses in mind as we start planning for mental health month.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n TODAY\u2019S GOAL<\/span><\/p>\n After today\u2019s meeting, we should have 1-3 ideas in place for mental health month programs.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE BASICS<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n HERE\u2019S WHAT WE\u2019VE DONE SO FAR<\/span><\/p>\n The first Pasadena Mental Health Day we held at Central Library was in 2017. The day was a 4-hour event that included various workshops, speeches, resource fair (which is when organizations set up tables and hand out information about their services and what\u2019s available to you); there were sessions for people to tell their stories both from people who have gone through mental health challenges to family and friends who shared their experiences. We had lots of giveaways, and several sessions of Youth Mental Health First Aid \u2014which is like regular first aid, but for mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2018, we expanded on the event and added a \u201cyouth empowerment corner.\u201d We included full lunches for youth, yoga, art therapy, a young adult authors panel, and bullying bystander workshop<\/span><\/p>\n In 2019, we continued with the youth corner activities, this time focusing on youth and homelessness<\/span><\/p>\n And last year (2020), instead of a Mental Health Day, we celebrated Mental Health Month and hosted a series of virtual workshops including mindfulness, a mental health book discussion, a zine workshop, story telling, resilience, and workshops about substance abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n Like last year, we will host a virtual series this year.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAST DISCUSSIONS<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve discussed mental health programs often during these youth network meetings. I\u2019ve gone back to review notes and pictures, and pulled out some ideas that you have suggested in the past. Some of those ideas include programs that \u201cHelp your friends.\u201d I took that to mean learning skills that you can use to help your friends; it\u2019s similar to Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA).<\/span><\/p>\n There was an image I found from a meeting in 2019 that had a notation for something called a \u201chappy campaign.\u201d I translated this to mean a well-being or happiness project which focuses on Positive Psychology methods–includes affirmation practices and mindfulness.<\/span><\/p>\n More art therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n And we talk a lot about getting information out to teens. There is already a lot of information that is distributed to teens and parents\/guardians, but maybe why this comes up often is that it\u2019s not always easy to understand \u2014 like there\u2019s too much or disorganized information. Perhaps the formatting is not easy to read. Something to work on.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ALL ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH<\/span><\/p>\n Mental health encompasses a lot of topics. There are programs and information about what people traditionally think about when it comes to mental health, including topics like disorders, trauma, depression, therapy. And then there\u2019s the self-care side of taking care of your own health so that you prevent mental health crises and build better coping mechanisms in case you need it. That\u2019s a lot to work with.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ll narrow it down and will use your ideas to start this planning.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n TYPES OF PROGRAMS<\/span><\/p>\n *can use a combination<\/span><\/p>\n *stick to 1-hour programs<\/span><\/p>\n *Does it have to be a live program or can it be recorded?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SMALL GROUPS DISCUSSIONS<\/span><\/p>\n Discuss topics in small groups; how the program should be presented; format; any supplies needed or things we should give away to participants; the goal of the program; who can help present the topic; what role you want to play in the program? (facilitator, assistant, planner, attendee.)<\/span><\/p>\n Be prepared to report back: (1) sample program description (title, possible dates or times, description), (2) format of program and supplies participants need (if any), (3) anything else to highlight from your group’s discussion<\/span><\/p>\n *sample descriptions or titles don’t need to be perfect, just ideas or bullet points; or spend the time discussing what you want to get out of this type of program<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Group 1 ideas:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n poetry writing workshop with local author<\/span><\/p>\n Painting in the park<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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