Sharpen Minds

MODALITY: curriculum

Go to the Sharpen Minds site to schedule a consultation appointment.

Summary

The Sharpen Mental Health Literacy program is an evidence-based, 5-hour training program for high school students. The course enables students to engage with over 75 peer based documentary films incorporated into comprehensive, strength-based modules covering a range of topics including: humanistic mental health literacy, stigma reduction, suicide prevention, disordered eating prevention, strategies for finding support, and “5 minute mindfulness” techniques for improving personal resilience. The asynchronous program was created by Resiliency Technologies, a public health prevention company whose founder worked for nearly 20 years leading mental health literacy and resiliency trainings in schools. The content assembled into SMHL was built in collaboration with over 25 researchers and has been created utilizing best practices (Semchuck et al, 2023) requiring assessment, community listening and stakeholder input (Gruber et al, 2023).

Resource materials include: Full program guide, manual and resource book, self-report checklist, pre/post knowledge assessments and youth-focused videos.

Rubric and Standards

Mental Health Literacy Components

Decreasing stigma

Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health

Understanding how to seek help effectively

Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments

High School Learning Standards

Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health

Compare & contrast emotional, mental-behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders

Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people

Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care

Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide

Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns

Implementation

Program Material Cost

$90 per participant or $3000 per school (district pricing also available)

Modality

Classroom Curriculum

Setting

Asynchronous online platform

Grade Level(s)

High

Training Resources

Evidence

Study Types

Single group and Mixed methods

Study Samples

10 - 215

Published Studies