The following file is in a Microsoft
Word Document format. Click on the file below and save it to
your computer system to be completed, printed and faxed at a
later date.
Letter
Of Understanding
Individuals and organizations that initiate the
literary project in their community must sign a LETTER
OF UNDERSTANDING and be sure it is on file at the APA Alliance office if they want
to participate in the national level of the project.
This LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING requires the participation of a local District
Branch of the American Psychiatric Association or the participation
of a member of the American Psychiatric Association if a District
Branch is not near you.
The APA Alliance collaborates with the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention
Program, (YRSPP) an Outreach of the Light for Life Foundation International
(www.yellowribbon.org). The APA Alliance recommends that individuals
and organizations contact local members of YRSPP in order to strengthen
the message that "it's okay to ask for help," and share
in their efforts to provide a grassroots approach for suicide prevention.
The APA Alliance works closely with chapters of the American Medical
Association, American Medical Association Alliance, Chapters of
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), mental health associations,
school nurses organizations and parent teacher associations.
A list of mental health resources can be found on the APA Alliance
web site.
When Not to Keep a Secret is funded at the national level only. Organizations
are financially responsible for their own implementation of the
project at the local and state level.
Below are some guidelines and strategies that may be helpful as
you organize the literary project for your community.
1. Community Contacts: Involving like-minded organizations will
bring strength and commitment to the project. This will also help
by adding volunteer judges, providing potentially several venues
for the award ceremony and addressing mental health concerns from
a collaborate position.
2. School District: Identify the school hierarchy. The school
superintendent, director of curriculum, director of school safety
and health, and principal will become important advocates as the
essay project evolves.
Experience has taught APA Alliance members that it is the one-to-one
contact with the English teacher, life skills teacher or creative
writing instructors that have taken initial interest in the project
and have made the project successful in their school.
3. Judges--County Level
- 1st Tier: English, Social Studies, Life Skills – teachers
that integrate the project into their curriculum and select the
top five entries from their school.
- 2nd Tier: Depending
on how many schools send their best five entries, you
may enlist additional volunteers from your community
contacts. (These judges would receive the sample letter,
criteria and rating scale found on the web site).
- 3rd Tier: *Community
Leaders: Directors or presidents of local medical societies,
public health, TV anchors, juvenile justice
judges, city council members, local legislators, health
reporters… Each
entry should be read by at least three people. Experience
has shown that most judges should not receive more than 15 entries.
So you
will need to enlist as many judges as necessary for the
task.
Fifteen entries will take about 1 hour to complete.
4. Judges -- State Level: Each community is allowed
to send it best three entries to
the state level. If there is no state coordination, and several counties have
participated, your organization should select the top three essays to send
to national.
5. Award Ceremony: Varies by community and funding. Many communities celebrate
the winning students in conjunction with an established venue (mental
health community awards, educational programs, PTA events and so forth).
The options are limitless. Whatever opportunity exists or you create, always include the school
librarian. The school librarian has been underutilized as a resource to students when
they seek
mental health resources. This will also be an opportunity to work on mental
health literacy within your school community.
Typically students receive a gift certificate and certificate
of recognition for their efforts.
Award Grantors--some ideas:
- 1st Tier: County: Mayor, council members, principals, juvenile
justice judge, child advocate, community leader…
- 2nd Tier: State: Governor, Lt. Governor, State Legislators,
presidents of state service organizations (PTA, School Nurses Organizations…).
*Involving legislators and health reports adds
another dimension to the project.
Ex: In one large community, several excellent entries addressed
eating disorders. It was a problem familiar to the school nurse,
child and adolescent psychiatrists and pediatricians. There was
no where to send these young people for help. Enlisting health
reporters and legislators as judges, the problem became public
and pressure was on from the community to find/fund a program to
help these young people. And they
did!
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