Mental Health Education
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES | ANNUAL AWARENEss Initiatives | MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE | PARTNERSHIPS
ALPHA CHI OMEGA IS COMMITTED TO PUTTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR MEMBERS FIRST.
We believe Alpha Chi Omega members have the power to positively influence their mental well-being and change the culture of mental health – one day at a time. As an organization, Alpha Chi Omega strives to empower our members to engage in open dialogue about mental health and support their sisters in taking action to improve, maintain and protect their mental well-being.
As members continue to express their challenges with anxiety, stress, depression and substance abuse, we continue to be a leading organization providing them with developmental opportunities to facilitate and engage in critical conversations about mental health as they navigate common mental health conditions.
Through mental health programming and awareness campaigns, Alpha Chi Omega brings attention to the importance of mental health as a daily practice. By partnering with nonprofit organizations championing mental health, we are able to provide members with resources on mental wellness, raise awareness about common mental health issues and reduce the stigma around seeking support for a mental health challenge.
Explore Alpha Chi's mental health initiatives, educational programming, national partnerships, resources and more below!
Asking for help is taking care of yourself. Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) to access free professional, trained support from a national network of mental health crisis services.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
CHORDS OF HARMONY
The Chords of Harmony program, developed in partnership with Active Minds, is an interactive, peer-facilitated mental health curriculum focused on developing collegiate members’ awareness of emotional well-being and creating a culture of care. The goal of the program is to provide members with tools to engage in dialogue on mental health in their chapter and campus community.
All lessons include a facilitation guide, participant guide and PowerPoint to assist collegians in leading conversations with sisters. Each lesson is designed to be facilitated as a 30- to 45-minute chapter-wide workshop, chapter program or small group discussion. The lessons are adaptable and can be facilitated in any order to meet members where they are in their mental health journey.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Taking a screening can be a first step to learning if you are having more than just a bad day. Alpha Chi Omega partners with MindWise Innovations to provide anonymous and confidential mental health screenings. Screenings can be used by members or in support of a loved one as a tool for determining if their thoughts and feelings are related to a mental health issue. It’s like a checkup from your neck up!
Members can access 13 screenings on the following topics and common mental health concerns: depression, alcohol use, eating disorder, substance use, opioid misuse, gambling, generalized anxiety, wide range screen, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, adolescent depression, well-being screen and psychosis. Demographic information gathered from the mental health screenings will not affect a member’s screening outcomes and is used only in utilization reports.
Created by MindWise Innovations, this resource library provides infographics, videos, fact sheets, social media templates, posters and other tools that can be shared to educate sisters about emotional wellness and its impact on their day-to-day lives.
A conversation about mental health can be life-changing. You don’t have to be an expert to help – you just have to be there. Not sure where to start? Check out Active Minds’ V-A-R: Validate, Appreciate, Refer ® tool as an easy, three-step guide for everyday mental health conversations.
This document provides tips for recognizing the early warning signs of a mental health crisis, helping a sister who may be in distress and understanding when to escalate to urgent, emergency support for help.
Want to know more about how to help a sister, loved one or get support you need? This resource provides a list of organizations that support different mental health needs. You can also use these resources to locate a licensed mental health professional in your local area.
ANNUAL AWARENESS INITIATIVES
SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH
September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. All month, Alpha Chi Omega aims to educate members about suicide prevention, the warning signs of suicide and how to help someone struggling with suicidal thoughts. During this month, National Suicide Prevention Week (the Monday-Friday surrounding World Suicide Prevention Day) is observed to acknowledge healing and promote seeking support for a mental health crisis. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10 and focuses on remembering those affected by suicide while raising awareness about suicide prevention and emergency resources.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). To promote a positive relationship with mental health, Alpha Chi Omega encourages members to raise awareness about the commonality of mental health challenges and give attention to the essential function mental wellness plays in our daily lives. During MHAM, Alpha Chi Omega provides advocacy resources, mental health programming, self-care practices and wellness tools to cultivate members’ mental health.
Mental Health Action Day was founded to drive mental health awareness into action. An initiative powered by MTV Entertainment Group, Mental Health Action Day empowers individuals to act for the mental well-being of themselves, their loved ones or those in their community. Alongside a coalition of 1,750 global partners, Alpha Chi Omega is proud to be a part of an international movement to prioritize mental health in the same ways we prioritize physical health. Mental Health Action Day is recognized in the third week of May as part of MHAM.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE
HELP IS HERE FOR YOU
One call, text or chat can be a lifesaving step for those experiencing a mental health crisis. Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) if you or a loved one is in mental health distress, a substance use emergency or suicide crisis. The Lifeline offers 24/7, free and confidential support, prevention and crisis resources from its national network of local crisis centers and trained professionals.
If you or a friend need resources to help a young person of color, text "STEVE" to 741-741 to access a culturally trained counselor or visit The Steve Fund.
If you or a friend need resources to help a person who identifies as LGBTQ, text "START" to 678-678 to access counselors trained to support LGBTQ communities or visit The Trevor Project.
PARTNERSHIPS
Active Minds – the nation’s premier nonprofit organization for young adult mental health awareness and education – partners with Alpha Chi Omega on mental health curricula and awareness initiatives aimed at creating healthy spaces for authentic conversation about emotional health. Alpha Chi Omega’s collaboration with Active Minds allows for the development of mental health tools and educational resources to foster healthy mental well-being for our members.
Alpha Chi Omega partners with MindWise Innovations, a nonprofit organization and pioneer of large-scale mental health screenings for common mental and behavioral health disorders. MindWise Innovations provides Alpha Chi Omega members with access to mental health screenings as well as resources, trainings and support services covering the full continuum of mental health. From prevention to crisis response, MindWise offers evidence-based solutions for suicide prevention, mental health and substance use that prioritize the well-being of our members.