The On Our Sleeves Movement For Children’s Mental Health is on a mission to give expert-created resources to all U.S. communities so everyone can understand and promote mental health for children. Its vision is to build a world where mental health is a part of the upbringing of every single child – and now On Our Sleeves has come to the Tampa Bay area.
BayCare Kids has teamed up with On Our Sleeves as a health care partner to join the movement to break stigmas, understand mental health, and teach skills to boost mental health and wellness for children.
With one in five children living with mental illness in the U.S., stigmas, low-mental health literacy and lack of mental health resources are the primary barriers to improving the mental health crisis, according to On Our Sleeves.
In the past five years, the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health has:
- Reached more than 6 million people across the U.S. in 2023 with mental-health related content.
- Shared materials with millions of classrooms in all 50 states.
- Launched a GoNoodle channel that teaches about feelings and mental health that has reached nearly 7 million classrooms in just 1.5 years.
- Hosted a community panel with the U.S. Surgeon General to talk about children’s mental health.
- Partnered with over a dozen youth-serving organizations to reach more kids in their communities.
“BayCare Kids, including St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, has partnered with On Our Sleeves because children don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves, and it can be hard to tell when they are struggling with their mental health,” said BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners. “Research shows that half of all lifetime mental health concerns start by the age of 14. BayCare Kids On Our Sleeves provides easy-to-use educational tools and resources to help parents and caregivers start conversations, boost mental well-being and break stigmas associated with children’s mental health. As the largest provider of behavioral health services in West Central Florida, we want to support everyone who is committed to caring for our youth.”
Join the BayCare Kids On Our Sleeves movement by signing up for the monthly email newsletter here.
