Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (Awareness Day) is a key strategy of the Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign, which is part of the Public Awareness and Support Strategic Initiative by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The effort seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth.

In 2011, the national theme focused on building resilience in young children dealing with trauma. More than 100 national organizations and 1,100 communities across the country held their own Awareness Day events, focusing either on the national theme or adapting the theme to the populations they serve.

This year, National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is Wednesday, May 9. SAMHSA hopes to increase community involvement in 2012 by engaging local groups in a national conversation about the importance of children's social and emotional well-being. Local groups are also encouraged to offer individuals attending Awareness Day events an opportunity to become a "hero of hope" by making a pledge to take action to help a child or youth.

The national event that will be held in Washington, DC, on May 9 will carry the message that, with the help of caring adults and informed child-serving systems, young people can demonstrate resilience following traumatic experiences. The national focus will look at the needs of children and youth ages birth to 18 in systems including juvenile justice, child welfare, and education who have experienced trauma. In addition, SAMHSA and the Awareness Day collaborating organizations will continue to examine strategies to assist military families in enhancing their resilience.

With the theme of "Heroes of Hope", the national event in Washington, DC, will feature young people from across the U.S. who have demonstrated resilience from trauma. Each youth will be asked to identify heroes, both personal and high-profile, who have supported them through their experiences. The event will feature performances in tribute to these heroes, and an award will be presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to a celebrity Hero of Hope. A live webcast of the event will be posted on SAMHSA's Web site via the Awareness Day page and will be archived for 6 months.