News and Events
Children's Mental Health Week will be May 3 - May 9
2026 Theme: Wired for Belonging
As human beings, we are wired for belonging. This Children's Mental Health Week we are emphasizing the simple things anyone can do to promote youth belonging.
Building Mental Wellness: Ready-to-Use Messages
The Office of Children's Mental Health is launching a short, monthly message on youth mental wellness that you can “copy and drop" into your newsletter or communication. The Building Mental Wellness Copy & Drop will provide a ready-to-use short message and will be emailed the third Tuesday of each month from OCMH. All you have to do is sign up to receive it and then “copy and drop" it into your publications.
Sign up here (select “OCMH – Building Mental Wellness Copy & Drop").
Topics in the near future will include: connection before correction, the relationship between mental and physical health, everyday actions to improve mental health, sleep and mental health, and many more. Our first one will be emailed May 19.
Parent Peer Support Specialists Provide Vital Role at Anesis Center for Marriage & Family Therapy
Too often people moving through the behavioral health system lack the compassionate understanding of someone else who has “been there” – an individual who has received training to provide peer support. Peer support is rooted in shared lived experience, connecting families with someone who has navigated similar challenges and can model hope, resilience, and recovery.
Read the newest Showcasing Solutions publication!
The Mental Health Toll of Financial Hardship
Children
who live in financial hardship are significantly more likely to be bullied,
have anxiety and depression, and develop substance use problems. And those who
face chronic financial hardship and experience poverty in their early years are
especially at risk for mental health problems.
What We Can Do
Parents & Caregivers: Be aware that your stress impacts your child. Model healthy coping skills to hangle stress.
Policymakers: Support funding for proven preventative practices, including safety net programs that help families cover basic needs like housing, food, and child care costs.
Schools: Advocate for universal free school meals.
Communities: Advocate for more low-income, high-quality housing.
Also available in Spanish and Hmong.