Our Minds Matter

Our Minds Matter

Program Type

Education or Training Program, Environment or Systems Program

Cost

No Cost

Evidence Type

Empirically-Defined Evidence

SPRC Comprehensive Approach

Increase Help-Seeking, Life Skills and Resilience, Connectedness

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Program or Intervention Summary

Our Minds Matter (OMM) is a school-based, upstream suicide prevention and mental health promotion program that strengthens protective factors among adolescents through a teen-led, peer-based model. Its mission is to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and tools to support their own well-being, help peers who may be struggling, and promote a supportive school culture, with the ultimate goal of reducing youth suicide risk.

OMM primarily serves middle and high school students through district partnerships. It operates as a universal Tier 1 prevention approach within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework and aligns with the CASEL competencies, complementing existing school mental health systems by emphasizing prevention before crises emerge.

The program draws on evidence-informed frameworks, including the JED Foundation’s comprehensive approach to suicide prevention and research on peer influence, youth empowerment, belonging, and social connectedness. Because adolescents often turn first to peers during distress, OMM leverages peer influence as a protective mechanism by creating structured opportunities for youth leadership, relationship-building, and school engagement.

OMM’s core program component is teen-led mental health clubs within schools, typically led by 3-5 trained student leaders and supported by adult club sponsors and OMM staff. Clubs meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and are open to the broader student body. Through structured facilitation model and developmentally appropriate activities, clubs foster psychological safety, belonging, peer connection, and mental wellness. Clubs also implement school-wide campaigns and initiatives that extend the program’s impact beyond club members.

OMM measures outcomes related to four protective factors associated with reduced suicide risk and improved mental health: social connectedness, positive coping and healthy habits, help-seeking, and prosocial skills. By normalizing mental health conversations and empowering youth as leaders and change agents, OMM seeks to cultivate school environments where belonging, support-seeking, and well-being are embedded in students’ daily experiences.

Overall, OMM represents a scalable, youth-centered prevention model that integrates into existing school systems while positioning teens as both beneficiaries and active drivers of positive mental health culture change.

Type Education or Training Program, Environment or Systems Program
Setting PK-12 School
Languages English
Study Method Quantitative Design, Qualitative Design
Study Type Descriptive (cross-sectional), Correlational or survey, Quasi-experimental, Focus groups
Implementer Requirement Adults, Teens, K-12 school faculty and staff, Professional Educators
Training Requirement Yes
Delivery Options In-Person
Risk and Protective Factors Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, Effective coping and problem-solving skills, Feeling connected to others, Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions

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