Ending the Silence

is an in-school presentation about mental health designed for high school students. Students can learn directly from individuals and family members who live with mental health conditions. Ending the Silence presentations can also be brought to youth groups, out-patient or in-patient facilities or anywhere where adolescents would benefit from mental health education.

What You Should Expect

• Fifty-minute presentation is free of cost
• Designed for high school students and typically offered in a health, science or psychology class
• Led by a team of trained presenters including a young adult living in recovery from mental health condition
• Includes presenter stories, educational slides, videos and discussion.

What Students Will Hear

A toolkit of practical information

Students can learn the science and impact of mental illness on youth as well as concrete ways to use this knowledge.  Topics covered include:

• Signs and symptoms of mental illness
• Statistics of how mental illness affects youth
• Personal perspectives on the experience of living with mental illness
• Recovery and coping strategies
• Ways to seek help for themselves or for a friend
• Ways to help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness