If you, or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Dial 988 or 301.738.2255 or text HOME to 741741
working towards the day when no teen dies by suicide
Our Minds Matter (OMM) is an innovative and powerful school-based, student-led program, centered on mental wellness, that teaches students how to identify suicide warning signs and obtain assistance for peers in need. OMM clubs offer a safe space where students can build community, connection and practice self-care. OMM clubs create a culture of understanding and mental health awareness. Currently there are more than 125 OMM clubs nationally, with 70% of the clubs in schools located in the DC Metro area. Since 2012, Our Minds Matter has worked with over 155,000 students globally, and grown to be the leading provider of adolescent peer-to-peer mental health programming in the DMV. OMM helps teens support other teens. Through OMM's innovative and grassroots approach, students run their own school-based clubs centered on mental wellness.
Based on recent research, OMM has been proven to:
* reduce stigma
* increase help-seeking behaviors,
* promote social connectedness, and
* encourage self-care and healthy habits.
A 2021 CDC study found that teens who feel connected to peers and adults at school have long-lasting positive mental health outcomes. OMM supports student leaders in cultivating school-wide connectedness. Students who participate in OMM clubs report increased feelings of connection at their school.
OMM employs staff to guide each school through the process of starting a club, provides materials and resources to facilitate OMM meetings, and provides phone support and technical assistance as needed. Check out the program at www.ourmindsmatter.org.
In addition to being a powerful suicide prevention tool for young adults, OMM is offered free of charge to Montgomery County high school and middle school students. There are currently 20 OMM clubs in Montgomery County high schools and ten programs in middle schools within the County. The number of clubs grows each year.
Funding for the program in Montgomery County, Maryland is provided solely by
The Devon C. Rubenstein Foundation.
Catherine Royston, Program Manager for OMM, explains OMM in detail during a recent MCPS Parent Academy meeting. Listen here...
The Buzz about OMM...
Jeanne McCormack, School Psychologist
Quince Orchard High School/Gaithersburg, MD
Recipient of 2019 Maryland State
School Psychologist of the Year Award
I wanted to just reiterate again what a wonderful experience it has been working with Our Minds Matters at QO! The program manager, Laura Beth is truly amazing and provides you with EVERY resource you could possibly need to start the club and help it thrive! I am so excited to see what QO does with the club next year and hope that we get a club at EVERY High School in MCPS so we can coordinate leadership efforts across the county to spread awareness, build coping skills, and break the stigma around mental illness together . . .
