The Top 10 Goals of Mental Health 101:

1. Mental Health 101 teaches teens how to talk with their parents or guardians when they need support, as well as how to reach out to other trusted adults or mental health professionals if needed.

2. Mental Health 101 is non-controversial. The book does not promote any controversial ideas, political agendas, or religious agendas. The book promotes personal responsibility and healthy life choices.

3. Mental Health 101 teaches positive behaviors and mental wellbeing skills like respect, responsibility, resiliency, and coping skills for stress and anxiety.

4. Mental Health 101 prevents at-risk and self-destructive behaviors like self-harm, suicide, depression, and anxiety.

5. Mental Health 101 makes a clear distinction between temporary feelings of anxiety or depression (which are common for all teens) and longer forms of clinical depression, which can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional.

6. Mental Health 101 shows students how to get help if someone is having a mental health crisis, such as a panic attack or suicidal thoughts. The program also educates students on the most common mental illnesses, learning disorders, and disabilities.

7. Mental Health 101 teaches students how to have respectful conversations, even when they disagree with someone.

8. Mental Health 101 is non-judgmental, and it allows students to participate at their own comfort level.

9. Mental Health 101 can be taught as a Tier-1 class for all middle school and all high school students.

10. Mental Health 101 is a research-based program that will soon become evidence-based, as we study the impact it has on positive school culture.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Tom Thelen is one of America's top motivational speakers on the topics of mental health and bullying prevention. Since 2012, he has spoken at over 800 schools and conferences and has been interviewed on NBC, CBS, FOX, and PBS. Tom is a Certified Instructor in Youth Mental Health First Aid, a training program by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. He and his wife, Casie, have four kids ages 12 to 16, and they live in Cocoa, Florida. Book Tom Thelen to speak at your event at https: //TomThelen.com/.

Dr. Kirleen Neely holds a PhD in Counselor Education from St. Mary's University. She is a licensed Professional Counselor and an approved Counselor Supervisor. Dr. Kirleen has worked in the mental health field for over twenty years and has been the chief executive officer of Neely Counseling Center since 2001. Visit https: //NeelyCounseling.com/.

Dr. Kimberley Orsten Hooge, aka "Dr. OH," received her PhD in Psychology, specializing in Cognitive Neuroscience, from Rice University. She loves research, teaching, and all things brain-related, and works as an independent research consultant. She has co-authored numerous publications on topics such as pediatric brain injury, resilience in at-risk youth, and visual perception. Visit https: //KimDoesResearch.com/.

Dr. Elliot Kagan earned his PhD from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University in New York. He specializes in clinical treatment and school-based services. Dr. Kagan worked for many years at Suffern Middle School in New York, where he served as a school psychologist and coordinator for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

Learn about the Mental Health 101 Curriculum and Teacher's Guide at https: //MentalHealth101.org/.