It’s Okay to NOT be OK!

This new single-session youth workshop is a step up from our introductory youth workshop (Self-Care for Mental Health). Geared towards high school students, It’s Okay to NOT be OK aims to dispel stigma surrounding the topics such as mental illness, mental health crisis and suicide. It instills hope, empowers teens to change the narrative, provides local youth resources and teaches steps to support a friend in struggle.

Available at no cost and limited capacity to schools and youth organizations across Vancouver, Burnaby and the North Shore.

The workshop is suitable for classrooms that completed Self-Care for Mental Health in the past, or as a stand-alone session for grades 9 to 12. Please note that this workshop brings up the topic of suicide (briefly). 

Format & Facilitators:

The workshop is delivered in-person, in a 70 to 90-minute block. It is facilitated by trained and experienced Youth Educators, who speak from their lived experience. Participants are engaged through interactive activities, videos and discussions to normalize conversations about mental health and help-seeking.

Key messages:

• Stigma of Mental Illness; it affects us all.
• The continuum of Mental Health.
• It’s okay to NOT be OK. Know the signs of a mental health crisis.
• Recovery is real. Get informed. Seek help.
• We can all play a role in supporting one another through crisis—practical tips.
• Suicide prevention starts with talking about it. It takes a community.
• Overview of local youth resources and crisis lines.

* Note, this workshop includes a brief discussion of suicide in the context of prevention, help-seeking and supports available.  

This workshop is supported by a grant and is free to local schools at a limited capacity.  

Should your school or agency wish to help us continue to provide this programming for youth, please consider making a donation to youth programming, via the following link: www.crisiscentre.bc.ca/donate