1N5 and MindPeace are WeTHRIVE!℠ partners whose work focuses on mental health.
- 1N5 works with schools, teens, and adults to increase awareness and education about mental health. They want to get people talking about mental health as a way to end the stigma around the topic.
- MindPeace works to increase access to mental healthcare for children and adolescents in Greater Cincinnati. Last school year, more than 110,000 students had access to mental health services through 170 school-based mental health partnerships.
Here’s a look at how 1N5 and MindPeace are responding to the challenges of COVID-19.
1N5
With most of 1N5’s initiatives involving in-person and in-school activities, the COVID-19 pandemic “basically turned everything on its head,” said Nancy Eigel-Miller, 1N5 founder and director.
The organization responded by switching to virtual meetings and training sessions. A new coronavirus section on 1N5.org offers a wide range of activities that promote physical and mental wellness through self-care, movement, mindfulness, education, creativity, and more. There are also video brain breaks, messages from experts, and stories about coping during the pandemic shared by adults and teens. The website now has many resources on racism and mental health.
Nancy says that early in the pandemic it was clear that teachers were worried about their students and needed help dealing with this. “I think a lot of that burden was … how do they keep students engaged? How do they continue to keep them on their path? It’s a big responsibility.”
As schools re-open, 1N5 will help continue to help teachers as they adjust to the new normal. “There’s going to be a lot of unknown going forward and a lot of different issues that we haven’t had to deal with before,” Nancy said.
1N5 is offering a free, virtual program on August 13: Self-Care for Teachers: Using Mindfulness Skills.
1N5 partnered with MindPeace to create a series of virtual presentations to promote mental health and wellness during these challenging times. There are separate sessions for youth, caregivers, and educators. The free series is accessible now and will go through the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
MindPeace
In addition to partnering with 1N5 on the State of Mind Speakers Series, MindPeace is continuing to ensure that children and adolescents can access mental health care.
MindPeace’s COVID-19 page is filled with helpful resources for kids, teens, college students, schools, therapists, and families. You can find a therapist for children, adolescents, and young adults by searching the MindPeace online database.
MindPeace Rooms™:
In schools, MindPeace sets up physical spaces where students can go to decompress and practice social-emotional and resiliency skills. To fill this need during the pandemic, they launched virtual MindPeace Rooms for early childhood, elementary/middle school, and junior high/high school.
You really have to visit a virtual MindPeace Room to appreciate it! Try out this MindPeace Room for early childhood.
For more information:
- Visit 1n5.org or contact Nancy Eigel-Miller at Nancy_miller@1n5.org.
- Visit MindPeaceCincinnati.com or contact Elana Carnevale at carnevalee@mindpeacecincinnati.com.
Website, social media traffic on the rise during pandemic:
1N5’s website visits are up 344 percent from last year, with an average of 9000 visits/month since the pandemic started. 1N5’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages have been reaching about 157,000 per month, an increase of 19 percent from last year.
August is WeTHRIVE! Partner Recognition Month. Read more here.