The Problem
Our school serves nearly 700 students. 49% of our student population are economically disadvantaged and they receive the free lunch program. Additionally, 47% of our student population report being a part of a minority group. Many of our students live with a non-parent family member due to incarceration, homelessness, and substance use, all of which are often linked with undiagnosed and/or untreated mental health needs. SAMHSA (https://www.samhsa.gov) estimates that 44% of those in jail have mental illness, and that approximately 21.5 million adults have co-occurring Substance Use Disorder and mental illness. Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) is a student club at our school, Wea Ridge Middle School in Lafayette, Indiana. Our club members include 36 students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The goal of BC2M is to empower youth to join the fight to end stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness (https://www.bringchange2mind.org).
