Press Release
Bring Change To Mind receives $144,000 from CareSource through the CareSource Foundation
October 7th, 2024 | 6 min read
New funding to launch a middle school mental health peer-led prevention program in Indiana that empowers youth to cultivate communities that are educated, supportive and empathetic about mental health
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (CARESOURCE) — Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) is pleased to announce a $144,000 grant award from CareSource through the CareSource Foundation. The gift will help scale up the BC2M Middle School Club pilot program from 10 Indiana schools to 40 across the state during the 2024-2025 school year. This will help create positive shifts in campus culture, encourage more help-seeking behavior, and support a willingness to engage in mental health conversations among students.
“BC2M has a deep programmatic presence in Indiana and a network of loyal partners invested in our work,” said Karin Gilbert, BC2M- Senior Manager of Indiana. “For the past four years, the Indiana Department of Education has supported the BC2M High School Program and Middle School Program pilot as part of a commitment to implement evidence-based, prevention and early intervention mental health programming in schools. We are excited for CareSource to join us in improving the mental health needs of young people.”
“CareSource understands the importance of partnering with local organizations who are already doing great work for the community,” said Cameual Wright, M.D., CareSource Indiana Market President. “The CareSource Foundation is proud to support Bring Change to Mind, an organization that creates safe spaces for students to discuss issues related to mental health and provides essential tools, resources, and events to allow students to share experiences and get support. We hope that by removing the stigma associated with conditions like depression and anxiety, we can spark change throughout our community.”
According to a recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General, one in five children and adolescents will experience a significant mental health condition during their school years. These conditions can include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress-related disorders, loneliness and others. Students with these conditions face significant barriers to learning and have an increased risk of unsafe behaviors and chronic health problems. Additionally, the CDC has reported that since 2020, suicide has become the second leading cause of death for 10-14 year-olds. Conversely, mentally healthy students are more likely to go to school ready to learn, actively engage in school activities, have supportive and caring connections with adults and peers, use appropriate problem-solving skills, have fewer behavioral problems and contribute to a positive school culture.
BC2M is one of the few mental health organizations that engages with young people in schools to address the mental health crisis. In 2015, BC2M launched its High School Program, which is the first of its kind. The program puts students in charge of evidence-based mental health clubs, giving them the tools and support necessary to create real change. Starting with 25 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, the program has reached more than 100,000 students in nearly a decade. BC2M now has an active network of students and teachers in 540 schools across 43 states. The program is offered free of charge to all schools and the provided resources include educational content and activities, a $300 club grant to organize campus-wide events promoting awareness and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness, a $200 stipend for the faculty advisor, on-going support from a dedicated BC2M Regional Manager, exclusive invitation to the inaugural BC2M Student Summit, a club kit to promote the club's presence and mission; pre and post-evaluations; suicide prevention training for faculty; youth leadership training and opportunities, and more.
Each club has an advisor (staff or faculty) on campus, who provides a space for students to meet and help guide the structure of club meeting conversations. With support from BC2M staff and resources, club advisors are also involved in coordinating events at the schools and helping students in their advocacy efforts at the administrative level. Middle school club members and their advisors meet weekly or bi-weekly to use the program’s online portal and educational presentations to learn more about mental illness, the brain, where to go if they need help, and topics related to self-care, anxiety and wellness. From these discussions, club members plan interactive and informative events to engage the entire student body in this empowering social movement.
BC2M’s evidence-based program and all related activities will help to improve the overall mental health and well-being of Indiana middle school youth and create safer, more inclusive school campuses. Middle school club members will have access to the most engaging, peer-to-peer advocacy platform currently available to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, increase empathy and acceptance of those with mental illness, increase rates of help-seeking, and improve the mental health for themselves and their peers. Together, we will end mental health stigma and save lives.
For more information about Bring Change to Mind (BC2M), visit www.bringchange2mind.org.
About Bring Change to Mind
Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) is a national organization working to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness through widely distributed public education materials and programs based on the latest scientific insights and measured for effectiveness.
In 2009, award-winning actress Glenn Close assembled the nation’s most influential mental health organizations to identify and discuss gaps in advocacy. Together, they determined that there was a critical need to combat stigma through messaging and to normalize the conversation around mental illness. In 2010, Glenn and her family made the decision to offer her celebrity and network of media contacts to mental health advocacy. Glenn’s sister, Jessie, lives with Bipolar Disorder and her nephew, Calen, lives with Schizoaffective Disorder.
In 2015, BC2M launched its evidence-based student-led High School Club Program with 25 schools in California, followed by a pilot Middle School Program in Indiana and California in 2020. Over the last nine years, BC2M Clubs have expanded across the US, operating in 43 states, 540 high schools, and 16 middle schools, empowering over 100,000 students to take a proactive approach to their mental health. BC2M Clubs allow students to foster meaningful mental health conversations, create a peer support network within their school communities, build resilience, gain knowledge, and learn how to access resources to support their mental health.
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