The K-12 mental health program will support students with intellectual disabilities and their families
Special Olympics Nevada held a special launch event for its new Mindset Matters program, a K-12 curriculum which provides mental health and stress management techniques to students in Clark and Washoe County School Districts. Executives from Special Olympics Nevada, Gibson Leadership Academy were on hand to demonstrate the program and its benefits for students with intellectual disabilities, who are often left out of discussions surrounding mental health and suicide prevention, and how more schools, students, and families can get involved.
Mindset Matters is an extension of Special Olympics’ Strong Minds program, an emotional health program and interactive learning activity focused on developing adaptive coping skills and active strategies for maintaining emotional wellness under stress. The need to further develop the Strong Minds program and tailor it to address what Nevada residents are experiencing was motivated by the impact of Covid on students with intellectual disabilities and their families and the lack of available resources for this demographic.
The launch occurred during Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week, May 7-13, which focuses on the importance of shifting from awareness to acceptance; and to inspire new thinking and behavior that better supports the mental health of children and youth and their families. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month.
