Tell Me...I'm Seen. I'm Heard. I'm Accepted.
How to Support Youth Mental Health:
- Know signs of distress in children: irritability, anger, and withdrawal, or changes in appearance, school performance, sleeping, thoughts or appetite.
- Minimize access to means of self-harm, such as medications or firearms.
- Monitor online activity
- Reduce stigma around mental illness.
- Elevate youth voices; they are experts of their own lives.
- Express that mental health is an essential part of overall health.
- Be a role model by taking care of your own mental and physical health.
- Help them develop strong, safe, and stable relationships.
- Encourage them to ask for help.
- Aid in techniques to manage stress and other difficult emotions.
- Tell them you see them, you hear them, and you accept them.
Social Media Kit
For Virginia CSBs and community partners
You may share these posts on your own social media platforms or simply share them from the Lock and Talk Virginia Facebook and Instagram pages.
Key messages to share throughout the month:
Support Youth Mental Health.
Signs of distress in children can show up as irritability, anger, and withdrawal, or even changes in appearance, school performance or appetite.As an adult, you play a critical role in supporting a child’s mental health, and knowing what to watch out for can help prevent distress from turning into a crisis.
Support youth mental health by telling them you see them, you hear them, and you accept them.
For more information, visit lockandtalk.org/campaigns/tellme
Our young people need to feel acknowledged, validated, and included in conversations surrounding mental health.
#mhawareness #youthvoices #lockandtalk
Visit lockandtalk.org/campaigns/tellme to learn more.
Oftentimes, taking that first step to ask for help is the hardest. Youth have been experiencing unique challenges that have negatively impacted their mental wellness.
Between2009 and 2019, feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40% in high school students. Don't let our youth suffer in silence. Offer a listening ear and show them you care. #youthvoices #wehearyou #lockandtalk
Youth who are shown they belong, are loved, and accepted feel more connected and optimistic about their futures.
Being accepted unconditionally can reduce their risk of experiencing a mental health disorder and improve their overall well-being.
Visit lockandtalk.org/campaigns/tellme to learn more on how to support youth mental health. #mhawareness #lockandtalk #youthvoices
Tell me...I’m Seen, I’m Heard, I’m Accepted.
Youth not only want us to listen to them, they need us to be intentional with SHOWING them they are seen, heard and accepted. Check out these strategies to learn more about how you can support youth mental health.
Visit lockandtalk.org/campaigns/tellme to learn more. #lockandtalk #mhawareness #youthvoices