Greetings from the MHLC…

If you’re reading the MHLC Messenger, you already know that schools are working to integrate mental health education effectively, but choosing the right program can be a challenge. To support them, the MHLC is developing a free open-source evaluation tool designed to help K-12 leaders assess and select evidence-informed MHL programs.

The tool will be co-developed by a group of national education and mental health leaders during a convening in Norwalk, CT (August 11–14, 2025). Contributors to the tool include leaders from California, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin, with additional contributions from members of the MHL-Interstate Workgroup (with 47 states represented). The final resource will be released this December as a public, open-source, co-authored tool.

We are eager to share this news! If you have connections to news outlets who may have interest in this story, we’d love your help spreading the word. You can reach out to us at info@themhlc.org.

🔗 Here is the link to the full press release!

The MHLC is committed to supporting the advancement of mental health literacy research. We're pleased to launch our MHL Research Spotlight series, highlighting innovative work in the field.

Featured Publication: Amplifying School Mental Health Literacy Through Neuroscience Education, Vento et al., 2024

🔗 Read the research. The paper examines how school-based mental health literacy programs that incorporate age-appropriate neuroscience education can enhance mental health understanding, reduce stigma, and empower both educators and students to better support youth well-being.

If you have findings to share, email us [info@themhlc.org] for consideration in a future MHL Research Spotlight.

We’re honored that Moffly Media featured “Going Upstream,” which highlights our NAIS 2025 presentation on Mental Health Literacy (MHL) as an upstream solution to the youth mental health crisis. The article recaps our work in Nashville when our CLO, Donna Volpitta, Ed.D and MHLC Advisor, Julian Nuñez had the opportunity to present at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Conference.

Our session,"Going Upstream: Mental Health Literacy as an Upstream Solution to the Youth Mental Health Crisis" was one of the conference’s Innovative Sessions, a recognition that speaks to the urgency and relevance of this work.

The MHLC is proud to be part of a growing movement that sees schools as a critical setting for mental health education. MHL empowers teachers—not as clinicians, but as educators—to equip students with the tools and language they need to navigate their mental well-being. The article spotlights how the MHL framework can:

• Help prevent crises before they occur

• Build stronger student-teacher relationships

• Reduce strain on the broader mental health system

• Offer immediate, scalable solutions in classrooms today

"The tools are here. The research is strong. And the time to act is now."

🔗 Read the full article.

Do you have insights on MHL you’d like to share? Do you have a story about the impact of MHL on your life? Consider submitting to be a guest blog author on MHL Voice. See our blog guidelines here. And if you missed our first blog post from Joe Jegier, you can find it here.

Do you have people in your professional and/or personal life that you think would find our new YA Advocacy Toolkit valuable? We would love your help promoting it across your networks. Please click here to access some social media graphics and messaging you can use for sharing.

Download the toolkit here 🔗

The Mental Health Literacy Collaborative is a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, Inc., (“PPF”), a Texas nonprofit corporation with federal tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to The Mental Health Literacy Collaborative qualify as tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Questions? Suggestions? Email us at info@themhlc.org