Destigmatize Mental Health at UP!

Funded Aug 15, 2024

The new resources have made a significant impact in our counseling sessions with high school students from multicultural backgrounds. These materials serve as calming tools for students dealing with anxiety, stress, or other emotional challenges. Holding a soft, comforting object has helped many students stay focused and calm while they worked through difficult emotions. The additional regulation toys are integral to our sessions, allowing students to manage restlessness and better engage in discussions about their feelings, experiences, goals, and mental health.

When the students first saw the new materials, their reactions were of happiness and positivity. Many expressed their excitement and appreciation of how the items made the counseling space feel more welcoming and safe. As for the next steps, we plan to continue incorporating the Squish-mallows and regulation toys into a school-wide healthy relationships fair to continue destigmatizing mental health in our school campus and contribute to our students social-emotional development. Thank you all for your support, this project empowers our students to take ownership of their mental health within our school community and in their personal endeavors.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Morales