Set to Go Sign Up Information

Elijah,

News of a widespread public health concern like COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Many students across the nation are dealing with sudden changes to their regular schedules and some are faced with having to quickly leave their campuses without contingency plans yet in place. These developments can be stressful. At the same time, families and school leaders are working to provide the necessary support to their loved ones and students.

It’s completely expected and appropriate to experience fear during situations like these. It’s also important to know how to manage overwhelming anxiety and keep perspective as the situation unfolds. Here are some resources and tips that may be helpful:

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has guidance on managing mental health and coping during COVID-19 for children and caregivers, as well as guidance for higher education administrators.
   
• The Child Mind Institute has published a resource on how to talk to young people about COVID-19.
   
• The Hope Center has outlined resources for supporting college students during this crisis.
   
• The American College Health Association has created a guide to help college health staff and campus administrators address COVID-19 on campus.
   
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has information on travel, media resources, and other research on COVID-19.
   
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America Psychologist Jelena Kecmanovic provides some science-based strategies and tips for coping with COVID-19 anxiety. 

We know this situation is challenging. In addition to utilizing these resources, JED’s self-care experts recommend getting adequate sleep, eating well, and engaging in exercise, among other tips for practicing good self-care.

People who already are managing existing mental health conditions should prioritize self-care during difficult times and should contact their clinicians if they have questions or concerns. To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Text “START” to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.

We’re all in this together and we hope this information can help cultivate perspective and curb anxiety.

Take care,
The JED Team

Elijah,

Providing young people with a sense of connection and support is now more important than ever.

As we adapt to rapid change and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, let’s work together to ensure all teens and young adults have access to the mental health resources and support they need to persevere through this difficult time and maintain a sense of hope about their futures.

Please make a gift right now to help us meet this growing need. Thanks to a generous donor, your gift will be matched, doubling your impact.

With almost 36 million teens and young adults enrolled in high schools and colleges across the country, strengthening the ability of schools and other partners to support the mental health of students has never been more urgent. JED is working to adapt and scale our programs to meet the needs of the moment. We cannot do this work without your help.

The sudden changes brought on by quarantines and shutdowns have created unanticipated challenges for young people, who are feeling heightened anxiety and stress. Right now, resources and support for youth mental health are needed urgently throughout the country. 

Thanks to a generous donor, every gift made before midnight on Tuesday, May 5, will be matched, and go twice as far to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults.

Please consider making a donation right now.

Thank you,

Adee Shepen
Chief Development Officer

Elijah,

In these unprecedented times, protecting the mental health of young people is a community-wide priority and responsibility.

For twenty years, JED has protected mental health and prevented suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. Right now, our work is more urgent than ever as young people are reporting heightened mental health distress as a result of COVID-19.

With your help, we can provide mental health resources and support to help teens and young adults maintain their well-being now and in the future.

Recognizing the need for quick and collective action, a generous donor has agreed to match donations through May 5, doubling the impact of your gift. Please make a donation now.

Our evidence-based programs and resources have reached and supported millions of people in high schools and on college campuses. They will be needed by millions more in the weeks and months ahead. To address this growing need, we are developing new online trainings, webinars, and pandemic-specific resources, expanding our capacity to support partners virtually, and developing major program innovations to provide support across the country.

If you’re able to make a gift right now, I can assure you it will be put to immediate use to help us respond to the demands of this moment. Please support JED today and your gift will be doubled.

With gratitude,

Katie Cunningham
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

P.S. Reminder: Join us for Parenting During the Pandemic: Challenges, Strategies, and Tips for Empowering Families of Teens, a webinar, on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 4pm-5:30pm Eastern Time.

Elijah,

As we all cope with changes due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, parents and caregivers may be faced with a lot of questions about how to support the emotions and mental health of children, young adults, and themselves during these uncertain times.

Please join a webinar happening today, Monday, March 16 at 4 pm ET to learn about strategies and resources on how to support your family and yourself during these uncertain times. The webinar is free and we encourage you to share with others who may be interested. Access the live-stream. It will also be recorded and can be accessed anytime here. 

The JED Team

WEBINAR: Resilience, Coping, and Parenting Strategies

In the Midst of Rapid Fire Change & Practicing Social-Distancing: Resilience, Coping, and Parenting Strategies for Everyone

When: Monday, March 16th
Time: 4:00pm - 5:30pm ET

How are you doing with the quick and ever changing daily stream of information? Are you coping while making big decisions as well as figuring out the day-to-day details for you and your family? Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and unsure how to manage your emotions as well as your children?

If you''re like most people, daily life right now feels somewhat uncertain and worrisome as the news of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, changes and impacts life. We''re here to help. This expert panel will answer some of your questions and discuss how to:

• Cope with uncertainty and anxiety.
   
• Continue living a purposeful and meaningful life.
   
• Practice proactive resilience to counter potential feelings of sadness, depression, and helpless.
   
• Balance “being on vacation” and maintaining structure and consistency in parenting.
   
• Maintain social contact and strengthen relationships with the people you''re living with (even in small spaces!). 

Panelists:

Anne Marie Albano PhD, ABPP: Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry and Founder of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety in New York. Sound advice for parenting children with anxiety can be found in her book “You and Your Anxious Child” and in her soon-to-be released TEDMED talk.

Jonathan Kaplan, PhD: serves as the Founding Director of the SoHo CBT + Mindfulness Center and author of Urban Mindfulness: Cultivating Peace, Presence, and Purpose In the Middle of It All.

Dean McKay, PhD ABPP: Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fordham University, and Past President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology.

Rebecca Sachs, PhD ABPP: Clinical psychologist specializing in Autism spectrum, OCD and severe anxiety. She brings warmth, sensitivity, and a strong sense of humor while working with individuals of all ages, including parenting work.

Hosted and moderated by Elliot Kaminetzky, PhD, Licensed psychologist and founder of myocdcare.com

Access the live-stream. It will also be recorded and can be accessed anytime here. 

Elijah,

In this time of staying home and staying safe, we know that connecting with others and maintaining physical and mental health helps us cope with stress and anxiety, and protect our immune systems. What if you could do this while also doing something good to support JED?

JED’s Everyone Summits: #findYOURsummit initiative is a way to do just this. Everyone Summits is a unique volunteer fundraising event driven by a passion to raise awareness for JED’s work while engaging in an activity of your choice. Choose your own summit as your goal and participate virtually on Sunday, May 31st. Leading up to the virtual summit, you’ll recruit friends and family to support you.

Here’s how to get involved:

• Register as an individual or team captain, join an existing team, or join the All JED team if you wish to be on a team but do not know where to start.

• Choose your summit! Go for a hike, run a 5k outside or on a treadmill, go for a family bike ride, do a one-hour H.I.I.T. class, take a chair yoga class, take your dog for a long walk… really, you can do anything that gets your blood pumping. Find resources to help you #findYOURsummit and promote your fundraising initiative.

We are here to help. Please email thea@jedfoundation.org and see the toolkit on our website with information on creating your own Everyone Summits initiative. 

Thank you for your consideration,
The JED Team

P.S. Don’t forget to get friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family members involved by participating and cheering you along. Check out the tips and resources to help you reach out.

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Dear Elijah,

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy as the COVID-19 pandemic requires significant changes to day-to-day life.

As a dedicated supporter, we want to let you know the steps JED is taking to protect emotional health and prevent suicide among our nation''s teens and young adults right now.

When so many things are changing—as they are right now for young people and families across the country—it can create fear, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty. I can assure you that JED is in a strong position to continue to lead and serve as we help students, campus professionals, parents, and others manage mental health during these unusual times.

Here are some examples of how we’re helping: 

• Through our JED Campus program, we continue to work with more than 300 colleges and universities and thousands of higher education professionals to strengthen mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems, even though students may not be physically in school.
   
• We are conducting new research to understand and adapt to the emerging factors affecting the emotional wellbeing and mental health of high school and college students to inform and strengthen our work.
   
• We have created the Love is Louder Action Center to provide resources and tips for taking care of physical and mental health and supporting each other during this time of uncertainty.
   
• We’re hosting webinars, Q + A chats with our experts on Twitter and Instagram to remain accessible and a resource, and convening focus groups with students to hear directly from them on what JED can provide to help support mental health.
   
• And, of course, we are distributing tools and resources, such as videos, guides and tips to help navigate these changing times together.

In the coming days and weeks, there will be more for all of us to do as we create and support social connection while we practice physical distancing. Your support allows us to address the immediate needs of teens and young adults during this unprecedented moment, while also staying focused and committed to our plans for the future. If you are in a position to make a donation right now, I assure you your gift will be put to work to protect the emotional health for our nation''s teens and young adults.

Sincerely,

John MacPhee
Executive Director and CEO

Elijah,

As we navigate the new normal and reshape our lives, it can be difficult to process what is happening each day. Our concerns and emotions may feel hard to identify, much less manage. Our lives have changed drastically, and with that can come a sense of loss for what we knew.

While traditionally the feelings of grief are usually paired with the loss of a loved one, we can have feelings of grief when we have any type of loss. The stages or feelings of grief do not occur linearly, and there are many manifestations. 

Acknowledging how you feel is one of the first steps to healing. Learn more about how the coronavirus has generated more feelings of loss and ways to navigate the grief.

We know that things are different now and will be different in the days to come. Teens and young adults may be experiencing grief associated with not only losing a loved one during this time but also:

• The loss of seeing their friends and loved ones
• Major changes in the way they expected the spring to go and missing out on spring events
• The loss of graduation and celebrations
• The loss of career opportunities
• The loss of what their day to day looked like and felt like

Even though the situation is open-ended, it is temporary. By recognizing and understanding the signs of grief in ourselves and each other, we can support one another. For more insight on the grief we may be feeling, how to manage it, and the meaning we can find in it, check out this interview with David Kessler, an expert on grief.

Kessler recommends several ways of managing grief:

• Find balance in the things you are thinking.
• Come into the present moment.
• Let go of what you can’t control.
• Exercise an abundance of compassion.

Here are more resources on supporting ourselves and each other through grief:

• The Child Mind Institute’s guide for helping children cope with trauma
• Lifeline’s tool kit for coping with sorrow, loss, and grief
• Health Care Toolbox’s resource for helping your child cope during COVID-19
• Article by the American Psychological Association on grief and COVID-19
• CDC’s recommendations for coping with stress during outbreaks

If you are feeling loss and grief right now, you are not alone. Acknowledging how we feel can help us begin to accept change. Seeking support can start the healing process. Don’t forget the power of reaching out and connecting with someone you can talk to as well as mental health professionals who are able to help you through this.

Take care,
The JED Team

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Elijah,

While COVID-19 remains a serious concern for all of us right now, we continue our commitment to addressing mental health needs of teens and young adults. We are also planning for the future. That’s why we’re proud to announce that noted psychologist and higher education leader, John Dunkle, will be joining the JED team this summer as Senior Clinical Director, Higher Education, bringing vital expertise in college student mental health and suicide prevention.

John will lead the JED Campus Program, in addition to other programs, helping colleges and universities develop and strengthen their approaches to protecting and supporting student mental health, and preventing suicide. We recently sat down with him to talk about the mental health needs on campuses and what he’s looking forward to in his new role at JED. Read the interview here.

John’s experiences and expertise will be valuable as JED expands its programs. Thanks to the support of the JED community and through Morgan Stanley''s Alliance for Children''s Mental Health, we will more than double the number of colleges and universities receiving JED Campus services, bringing the total number of students served at JED Campuses to approximately 8 million.

Thank you for being part of the JED community, 

Katie Cunningham
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

Elijah,

For many of us, everything has changed in a short period of time, including students coming home unexpectedly as school life moves off-campus and online.

Staying connected to others and maintaining a sense of regular life can help you and your family cope during times of isolation and physical distancing.

Consider these ways to support yourself and foster feelings of connectedness:

• Link with friends and family members. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Engage in conversation unrelated to the outbreak.
   
• Do activities that you enjoy in your everyday  life. Keep integrating things you like doing into your new daily routine.
   
• Avoid excess media coverage. Take time away from the news to focus on the things in your life that are going well and that you can control.
   
• Maintain important relationships. The positive relationships in your life play a crucial role in your mental and emotional well-being.

It is natural to feel stressed or anxious; remember that the support you need is still close by. When we maintain relationships and stay connected to the people and activities that keep us grounded, we can find the strength and support to get through these challenging times together. 

You can find more resources for managing mental health during this time here and in JED''s Love is Louder Action Center, which provides resources and tips for taking care of physical and mental health, and supporting each other during this time of uncertainty.

Be well and stay safe,
The JED Team

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Elijah,

Many people are facing new or growing mental health challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. We know that stories provide a powerful way to reduce shame, prejudice, and secrecy, and inspire us to be proactive about our mental health. 

The JED Voices video series features notable and influential mental health advocates who talk about what mental health means to them. In the most recent video installation, actor Keith Powers discusses how he shifted from isolating himself to reaching out and expressing his feelings.

Keith shows us it’s possible to transform self-doubt into self-love by taking care of ourselves and prioritizing our mental health.

Join the conversation about mental health on social media using #JEDvoices and our handle @jedfoundation where we can support each other by sharing how we take care of ourselves and one another.

Be well,

Katie Cunningham
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

• JED recently partnered with the Blue Boy Foundation and Microsoft to develop a workshop to help teens and young adults raise awareness about good emotional health, encourage authentic human connectivity, and help develop the life skills to support ourselves and others. Breaking Modern Loneliness: A workshop on mental health teaches young people ages 13 and up the importance of emotional health. Learn more about the workshop and curriculum.
• In the season finale of Could Be Better, tbh, host Stacy London talks with suicide prevention expert Dr. Jerry Reed about what we can do to prevent and reduce suicide.

• In a new webinar, Prioritizing Well-Being: For Students, Teachers, and School Communities, experts from EVERFI and JED’s Chief Clinical Officer Nance Roy, Ed.D. discuss activities and strategies around mental well-being that can be used in the classroom or virtually.
• In a recent blog post, JED’s Community Engagement Manager Thea Rachel Zunick gives tips and advice on how to Focus on Functional Fitness while staying at home. Having a fitness routine benefits the body and mind, and keeping active can help relieve stress and encourage mental well-being.

• In a recent article about Saks Fifth Avenue’s digital mental health initiative, Women’s Wear Daily mentions Hunter McGrady and her work with JED.
• CNBC interviewed Haley Sacks, known as Ms. Dow Jones, about her work to help young adults financially survive the coronavirus crisis. Sacks mentions her work with JED as part of the Young Leadership Council.

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Elijah,

Right now, you may find yourself feeling worried or concerned about loved ones in your life. With each passing day, it becomes increasingly possible that someone in your community will be affected by COVID-19.

It is a healthy and natural reaction to worry or stress about people in your life. Here are some resources that may help you to support those you love:

• The CDC has guidelines for helping yourself and others cope with and manage fear and worry as we move through the stages of COVID-19.
   
• If you know people at a higher risk, such as older adults or those with serious chronic medical conditions, help them prepare following this CDC fact sheet.
   
• These steps will help you or your loved one navigate best practices if you suspect you or someone close to you may have symptoms of COVID-19.
   
• If someone you know is struggling with mental or emotional well-being, check out JED’s mental health resource center.
   
• JED''s Love is Louder Action Center provides resources and tips for taking care of physical and mental health, and supporting each other during this time of uncertainty.

Also, remember to be there for yourself. If you practice self-care and keep calm, you will be available for others. Prioritize your well-being. Then, check-in with your loved ones and offer them the support they need.

While the situation can easily cause us to feel helpless and uncertain, there are things we can do to be there for each other as we all get through this together.

Be well and stay safe,
The JED Team

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Now, as a result of the CARES Act, you can take a universal non-itemized ‘above the line’ charitable deduction that enables all taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions up to 100% of their adjusted gross income.

We are happy to help you find the best way to contribute to our on-going and much-needed work to reach and support teens and young adults.

If you have any questions or would like to talk through your options, please contact me at adee@jedfoundation.org.

Thank you for your ongoing generosity,

Adee Shepen
Chief Development Officer

P.S. To make a gift to JED today, please visit our website. Thank you.

Elijah,

Building community and strengthening connections have always been central to JED’s work to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. Today, this work is needed more than ever.

Right now, our team is partnering with schools, families, and community groups to adjust to changing needs and offer new ways of reaching and supporting youth.

Please support JED by taking part in Giving Tuesday Now, a day of global unity and action to support what matters to us most during this unprecedented time. Thanks to a generous donor, your gift will be matched, doubling your impact.

While we are focused on helping teens and young adults navigate this difficult time, we are also continuing work that will help us reach important, long-term goals to ensure:

• Every high school and college has a comprehensive system that supports emotional health and reduces the risks of substance misuse and suicide.
• All teens and young adults are equipped to navigate mental health challenges, to seek and give help, and are emotionally prepared to enter adulthood and fulfill their potential.
• Mental health is recognized as part of general health and wellness and is not associated with shame, secrecy, or prejudice.

Please stand with us as we support teens and young adults when they need us most. Donate today.

Sincerely,

Katie Cunningham
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

Elijah,

It''s been a devastating time for too many communities grieving in the wake of violence.

The Jed Foundation strongly condemns racism, xenophobia, systemic injustice, and police brutality and recognizes these as detrimental to mental health. As people across the nation and the world respond to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and other victims of violence and racism, we know that these events are incredibly distressing, especially for black members of our community.

We know that grief, anxiety, anger, fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness are heightened and completely reasonable right now as people simultaneously grapple with the impact of COVID-19, including the way that it has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Watching the news coverage and politicized arguments about possible solutions can be overwhelming.

It''s okay to acknowledge the pain that we''re feeling, disconnect, and take time to help ourselves and the people around us. To be effective advocates for change, we have to stay strong and be proactive about our emotional health. We are working to provide resources and support that can help us take care of ourselves and each other.

Feeling safe and knowing that our friends, family, and community members are safe, are essential to maintain our mental health. If you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or unsafe, here are some things you can do:

• Text START to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8253) for a confidential conversation anytime.
• Check out our tips for taking care of ourselves and others during difficult times.
• Visit the JED’s Love is Louder Action Center.
• Visit our partners at Color of Change and The Steve Fund for more ways to get involved and use your time, voice, and resources to take a stand against discrimination, racism, and the senseless violence devastating communities across our country.

We stand together to promote unity, inclusion, and safety for all. Together we can help each other navigate this difficult period in healthy ways, and remind each other that we are not alone. To create structural and lasting change we need to take action. This is not about weathering the moment, it is about improving the future for all.

In solidarity,
The Jed Foundation

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Elijah,

In a new JED Voices video, actor Keith Powers talks about his journey to self-love and his desire to share his experience to help others.

Since Keith was young, anxiety has been a part of his life. During an intense period of depression, he didn’t want to get out of bed or eat. He felt alone. Then, his mind turned to others who were going through similar feelings. Watch Keith talk about learning to love himself by finding validation from within.

Keith found the support he needed through therapy, journaling, and finding healthy ways to cope. He began to appreciate and find joy in both the career that he loves and in the little things that happen every day. Now, he is inspired to reach out and help people of all ages learn how to care for themselves. Hear Keith talk about how he shifted from isolating himself to reaching out and sharing how he feels.

• How to help a friend
• “Therapy is the best thing ever.”
• “My anxiety was making me feel like taking a drink before going out.”
• “Men of Color: We don''t want to cry in front of people.”
• Breaking down "pushing through" mental health struggles
• Three ways to deal with anxiety

Keith shows us it’s possible to transform self-doubt into self-love by taking care of ourselves and prioritizing our mental health.

Join the conversation about mental health on social media using #JEDvoices and our handle @jedfoundation where we can support each other by sharing how we take care of ourselves and one another.

Be well,

Katie Cunningham
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

• JED recently partnered with the Blue Boy Foundation and Microsoft to develop a workshop to help teens and young adults raise awareness about good emotional health, encourage authentic human connectivity, and help develop the life skills to support ourselves and others. Breaking Modern Loneliness: A workshop on mental health teaches young people ages 13 and up the importance of emotional health. Learn more about the workshop and curriculum.
• An upcoming virtual comedy event, The Laugh Out Louder Virtual Comedy Show, benefitting JED, will take place over Zoom on Wednesday, May 13, 8-9 p.m. ET.
• In the season finale of Could Be Better, tbh, host Stacy London talks with suicide prevention expert Dr. Jerry Reed about what we can do to prevent and reduce suicide.

• Licensed Clinical Psychologist Alana Kingsley discusses the grief of Mother’s Day for those who are not able to be with their mom. Grieving on Mother’s Day shares ways to cope, grieve, and stay connected this year.
• In a new webinar, Prioritizing Well-Being: For Students, Teachers, and School Communities, experts from EVERFI and JED’s Chief Clinical Officer Nance Roy, Ed.D. discuss activities and strategies around mental well-being that can be used in the classroom or virtually.
• In a recent blog post, JED’s Community Engagement Manager Thea Rachel Zunick gives tips and advice on how to Focus on Functional Fitness while staying at home. Having a fitness routine benefits the body and mind, and keeping active can help relieve stress and encourage mental well-being.

• In a recent article about Saks Fifth Avenue’s digital mental health initiative, Women’s Wear Daily mentions Hunter McGrady and her work with JED.
• CNBC interviewed Haley Sacks, known as Ms. Dow Jones, about her work to help young adults financially survive the coronavirus crisis. Sacks mentions her work with JED as part of the Young Leadership Council.

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Elijah,

Disruptions caused by COVID-19 are having a particularly profound impact on teens and young adults. Many youth are reporting that the pandemic is taking a toll on their mental health and at JED, demand for our resources and support has never been greater.

Every gift made before midnight tonight will be matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to the generous support of a donor. Join us today in our work to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults.

With gratitude,
The JED Team

Dear Elijah,

As we all grapple with the rapidly changing events around us, the team at The Jed Foundation (JED) has, like so many of you, expanded our work to respond to the emerging needs of teens and young adults.

JED is responding to the urgent needs of students, families, college professionals, and so many others who are in need of resources and guidance on protecting mental health right now. Watch this short video with JED Executive Director and CEO, John MacPhee, to learn how we’re responding to this moment.

To students, parents, high school and college faculty, and the entire JED community, we want you to know we are here to help. 

Sincerely,
The JED team

Elijah,

Yves Mathieu is a model, musician, and activist who uses his voice to help others. But earlier in his life, he felt like he was not heard.

At a young age, every day was a struggle for Yves. He began to abuse drugs and attempted suicide at age 15. Then, he got clean and started to prioritize his well-being. Watch him speak about his experiences and how he learned to connect with and care for himself in this JED Voices video.

Yves started journaling and working out, and finding ways to process and express his authentic self, to understand what he was going through. His perspective shifted as he found help through service work and helping others. Hear Yves talk about how we can support ourselves by supporting each other.

• "Go love your gay son," on overcoming bullying
• "Self-dating," on caring for yourself
• "I see my journal as a person," on the power of journaling
• "Bringing hope to queer youth shelters," on the importance of creating community
• "Volunteering as therapy," on helping others
• "Your voice matters," on sharing stories of those who have recently died by suicide

​Yves reminds us that through community and connection, we have a home with each other.

Join the conversation about mental health on social media using #JEDvoices and our handle @jedfoundation, where sharing our stories shows us that we aren’t alone when we connect with one another.

Be well,
Katie Cunningham 
Chief Programs and Operations Officer

• JED recently partnered with CommonLit, a free, online resource that delivers lesson plans and curricular materials to teachers in over 70% of America’s public schools, to make our Set To Go lesson plans available on their platform. Since the launch, more than 550,000 students have read our lessons, over 160,000 students have completed the entire set of lessons, and 3,500 teachers have utilized these lessons across 2,500 schools.
• JED and Crisis Text Line launched Could be better, tbh a mental health podcast hosted by Stacy London.
• KUER, Utah’s NPR station, reports the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institutions are entering into a statewide agreement with the JED Campus program to support student mental health and well-being.
• In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we created a Love is Louder Action Center encouraging people to stay in and stay safe while addressing the stress and anxiety that may arise during this time and providing mental health resources to those who may be struggling. 

• JED is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to observe National Prevention Week 2020 from May 10–16, 2020. The week aims to increase public awareness of substance misuse and promote mental health. Learn more today.
• The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced the formation and membership of an external Mental Health Taskforce to support Team USA athletes – and the coaches, officials and administrators who serve them – to address mental health concerns. JED’s Dr. Vic will serve on the newly-formed committee. Read more. 

• The Tech Times reports that Reddit now lets people report users who might be at risk of suicide. JED’s Dr. Vic gives advice on how to detect emotionally distressed users.
• Erica Riba, senior adviser for JED’s Campus program, recently shared some of the ways students are coping with the pandemic in Inside Higher Ed. “There’s loss of identity – ‘Who am I as a student, now that I’m trying to figure out what’s next and what all this means?’” Riba said. “This whole idea of social distancing is obviously important, but what we’re trying to point out is physically distancing. The social connection is very important right now.”

If you or someone you know needs help immediately, text "START" to 741-741, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.

Dear Elijah,

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, our JED Campus team has been working closely with schools across the country to provide real-time guidance and support, giving us a first-hand look into how the pandemic is impacting students’ lives.

Today, millions of young people are adjusting to isolation, feelings of grief and loss around missed milestones, and more. They’re reporting especially high levels of anxiety and uncertainty.

Recognizing this urgent need, a generous donor has agreed to match every donation through May 5. Please make a gift now and have twice the impact.

Members of JED’s community are reaching out to us in record numbers for information, training, resources, and support to help navigate these uncertain times. To meet the growing need, we are innovating and adapting to help teens and young adults get through this unprecedented time while also maintaining a sense of hope about their futures.

Please consider making a gift right now. Your support today will be doubled — and go to work immediately to support the mental health of our nation’s teens and young adults.

Sincerely,

John MacPhee
Executive Director