Vitarbr
Mental Health Matters
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Middle and high school students have statistically shown some of the highest rates of mental illness of any age group. Our area, in particular, has a very high-stress academic environment. Mental health is not talked about in school as much as it should be, and oftentimes it is too late: students are formally introduced to mental illness in Health Class in high school, but the problem usually starts as early as the sixth grade. Furthermore, schools have the resources to support students who may be suffering, but there is often a disconnect between the victim of mental illness and the resources available.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Teachers for Mental Health
VitArbr strives to have teachers trained in Mental Health just as common as how people are trained in CPR. This program helps teachers identify signs of mental distress in students and take proper steps in directing change.
Where we work
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
VitArbr aims to address the mental health problem as it pertains to students in the Greater Chicagoland Area. One of our main initiatives is providing training for teachers at local middle and high schools, so that they are more aware of their students' health, and can better identify potential victims of mental illness, connecting them to the resources they may require. Along with this, we are trying to develop a safe, discreet system to report mental health concerns, so that victims can find the resources they need, and also so fellow students or teachers can express their concerns over the mental health of another student. We strongly believe that parents are an important part of the conversation on mental health, so we aim to educate them on the unique problems a student in the day an age may experience, and how that might affect their mental health. In all, we hope to involve the entire community in protecting the mental health of students and destigmatize mental illness.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have begun talking to high schools about training teachers for mental health first-aid. Speaking to instructors, we have ensured that this program is relevant for teachers. For schools that cannot afford to train their teachers, we will fundraise, so that we can help alleviate that financial burden. By holding informational talks, we can get parents involved in the discussion as well. We are working with legislators to, in some form, mandate the training of teachers at middle and high schools. To spread general awareness, we create videos that normalize the realities of mental health with the hope that discussions will ensue. We are working specifically at Stevenson High School to start a club, where we can directly impact the students by sponsoring de-stress activities and awareness campaigns, as well as advise social workers and administrators on how to implement mental health resources better.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since our body includes high school students, we have access to school administration. This allows us to more effectively influence them to consider our proposals, and the personal testimony to justify such programs. Having students, we are also able to directly inspire other students to pursue mental health initiatives, and several have already come forth expressing support and a desire to help. The easy access to teachers allows us to spread the word directly to teachers, and have their support, independent of the administration. This also allows us the obvious advantage of being able to start a club at Stevenson High School. Since we are run by people in the local area, we can really address the unique issues that schools here have. By creating a legacy of younger students that will continue VitArbr's mission and by having members able to spread the concept to the colleges they will soon attend, VitArbr is well equipped to address the mental health issue at hand.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
VitArbr started off by producing videos on the subject of mental health, with the intent of sparking a discussion on the topic. Since then, we have also started a discussion by presenting our organization at the Annual SCARF Gala. We have had several meetings with legislators in which we expressed our concerns and our desire for teacher mental health first aid to be required, and are still working to iron that out. We have spoken to doctors in the local area on how the healthcare system can be optimized for mental health, and hope to approach legislators about that as well. Within Stevenson High School, we have started a program within the Freshman Mentor Program, so that we can specifically help incoming freshmen. We have introduced the first-aid training there as well, and are working on a few fundraisers.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Vitarbr
Board of directorsas of 12/02/2018
Harish Kolasani
NRI SEVA
Term: 2016 -
Harish Kolasani
NRI SEVA