We believe that normalizing a culture of help seeking and giving among Filipino teens can help them cope with challenges and manage their emotional and mental health better. We intend to do this through the following initiatives
[ IN 3 YEARS ]
*Pre & Post-activation survey results of school partners
CIRCLES
Teens who feel a sense of belonging in their school community are less likely to experience emotional distress or suicidal thoughts. Those who engage with the students the most are in the best position to recognize those who are struggling with their mental health. PH CIRCLES enable and empower teachers, parents, and most importantly their peers, by conducting training and workshops at their school on how to:
SUPPORT mental health in the classroom.
RECOGNIZE a student who is struggling.
REACH OUT to a struggling student.
CONNECT students to professional help, when it is needed.
PROVIDE access to mental health resources, educational videos, peer-to-peer programs & resource speakers.
Participants will likewise be invited to join our online workshops, talks and will be given access to our online and video resources as part of their continuous education on mental health.
Teens who have experienced reaching out to someone, or who knew of anyone who seek help about their mental health issues, are more likely to do the same thing, when in distress, based on research*. And when students have positive interaction with professional health providers, they are more likely to promote them to their peers.
In the Philippines, 6 out of 10 of young Filipino adults aged 13-17, did not reach out to anyone when thinking of committing suicide. 9 out of 10 of those who thought of committing suicide are not aware of any suicide prevention service or number to call.
PH; BRIDGES normalizes a ‘culture of caring’ among Filipino teens by:
• Creating a peer-to-peer helpline that students can call when in distress
• Activating a crisis management protocol to ensure that school admins, students, teachers, parents and peers have ready access to lists of local numbers they can call (emergency, hospital, peer-to-peer helplines, mental health providers)
• Implementing a Mental Health awareness drive inside schools
• Inviting celebrity speakers to share their own stories to encourage students to seek help when in distress
BRIDGES
SPACES
Based on studies, teens who do not seek help say that they are unsure of what mental illness is or what treatments they should ask for. Some fear of being shamed or stigmatized by peers or family, hence they tend to rely on their own research to help them cope with their mental struggles.
We provide multiple ways for students to get help, specifically for those who feel shy about approaching others directly. We do this by creating a PH; SPACE within the school's library – where students can get free access to self-help books donated by private individuals and local organizations. It is our belief that if we help build the students’ social, emotional, and life skills through literacy, we can improve their capacity to solve problems and manage their emotions better.
When teens seek help, they tend to rely on family, friends and social media. Recent studies estimate that more than half of teens turn online for mental health information. As such, the more credible information and support we can provide online, the greater is our capacity to help students and decrease the stigma around mental health needs and promote help-seeking.
PH; PAUSE produces various contents across all social media platforms to improve literacy on mental health – from common signs of distress, ways to reach out, treatments, resources, trainings. These includes but are not limited to educational videos, entertaining contents, social media posts, celebrity PSA, among others.
PAUSE
CAFÉ
In the Philippines, 6 out of 10 of young Filipino adults aged 13-17, did not reach out to anyone when thinking of committing suicide.
Students dealing with mental health issues need not suffer alone. PH; CAFÉ aims to promote a culture of caring – one that encourages everyone struggling with mental health issues to come forward and seek help and for others to step up and offer help in any capacity they can. PH; CAFÉ intends to normalize this by mounting pop-up cafes inside the school so students can talk with our peer counsellors, volunteers and celebrity guests over free COFFEE.
Based on studies, students reach out to their friends & peers the most, to help them with their mental health struggles. #Ur3rdFriend, is our TikTok & Youtube platform, where;
Problem-sharing is encouraged
Caring is celebrated
Sound advice is rewarded.
[COMING SOON]
