# Presentation: 824239

## Active Minds, Inc.-  
Reaching and Collaborating 
with College Students 

- Active Minds, Inc.-
- Reaching and Collaborating
- with College Students

## Campus Collaboration Objective

- To extend the reach of the Campaign for Mental Health Recovery (CMHR) PSA campaign
- Encourage, educate and inspire 18-25 year olds to step up and support friends they know are experiencing a mental health problem

## Campus Collaboration Objective (cont.) 

- Ultimate goals:
- Foster a society of acceptance
- Eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness

## Active Minds, Inc.www.activeminds.org

- First student chapter developed at University of Pennsylvania in 2001, nonprofit founded in 2003
- National organization develops and supports student-run mental health awareness groups on college and university campuses around the US and Canada
- Currently: 83 chapters in 32 states plus DC and Canada – anticipated growth

## Active Minds Mission

- To utilize peer outreach (“the student voice”) to increase students’ awareness of issues of mental health, symptoms of mental illness, and available resources for seeking help
- To serve as liaison between students and the administration/mental health community
- Become the major point of reference for mental illness and promotion of good mental health

## Active Minds’ Roles on Campus

- Work with on-campus services (counseling center) to provide education about mental health – distribute national and local resources and materials
- Sponsor speakers, panel discussions, brown bag lunch sessions
- Empower students to watch out for their own mental health and the mental health of their friends

## Active Minds CMHR Distribution Plan

- Provide each chapter with
- 150 brochures to be distributed on campus
- Order form for additional brochures
- CMHR community site kit
- The site kit is a CD-Rom that includes the campaign’s PSAs, background materials, FAQs and a campaign fact sheet.
- Continue to provide brochures to new and developing chapters

## Other CMHR College Outreach Activities

- Program manuals distributed in October to 1,100 peer educators through BACCHUS Network
- 450,000 brochures were included in campus trial packs (which contained giveaways unrelated to the campaign) and distributed from August to October at over 200 colleges and universities across the country.

## Other College Outreach Activities (cont.)

- _Alloy Media on Campus/on Nightlife Networks_
- Work with Alloy Media to:
- Place the campaign creative on more than 1000 college campuses around the country with a reach of 10.3Mill students (roughly 90% of the college population)
- Distribute the print creative to over 1800 campuses with a reach of 11.4Mill students
- Put the creative in over 3800 restaurants, and nightclubs in 75 markets, as well as displays in 200 movie theaters in the top 25 markets.

## Other College Outreach Activities (cont.)

- Work in coordination with SAMHSA to provide local organizations with materials for campus outreach.
- Materials to be included:

| PSA Site Kit | Brochures |
| --- | --- |
| Coffee Sleeves | Mouse Pads |
| Post Cards |  |

## Other Outreach Activities 

- _Chicago Public Schools Collaboration_
- Work with Chicago Public Schools to:
- Develop vehicles and forums to amplify the campaign message of peer support and recovery at six high schools by:
- Holding assemblies at schools.
- Providing health teachers with tools to discuss campaign issues during class.
- Developing scripts to be used during homeroom announcements.

## Other Outreach Activities (cont.) 

- Work with Chicago Public Schools to:
- Secure placement of appropriate PSAs in high school media by distributing:
- TV and radio PSAs to air on closed circuit TV and radio and during PA announcements.
- Print PSAs to run in school newspapers.
- Web banners to run on high school websites.

## Collaborating with Colleges: Challenges

- Making inroads at any particular school
- Once in, navigating system to reach the intended audience (students)
- “Speaking to” students so they listen!

## Collaborating with Colleges: Solutions and Suggestions

- College administrators currently keen on the issues
- Presence of student awareness groups growing and strengthening on campuses
- For same reason as mission of CMHR!
- Highly encouraged to find students where they are (student group, campus newspaper, radio station, psychology classes) to be most effective
- Timing is key!

## Collaborating with Colleges: Resources

- Active Minds: www.activeminds.org
- HalfofUs: www.halfofus.com
- Campaign for Mental Health Recovery: www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov
- SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma: www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov

## Contact Information 

**Contact Information **

- Alison K. Malmon Founder and Executive Director, Active Minds, Inc. 1875 Connecticut Ave, NW  Suite 418 Washington, DC  20009 202-719-1177 _amalmon@activeminds.org_ _www.activeminds.org_

## A college degree is not a sign that one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life. 

**- Reverend Edward A. Malloy**, *Monk's Reflections*