Ohio Governor Mike DeWine supports On Our Sleeves® Movement for Children’s Mental Health
In honor of national Mental Health Awareness Month, The On Our Sleeves Movement For Children’s Mental Health and Nationwide Children’s Hospital announced that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a proclamation recognizing Wednesday, May 31 as Conversations With Kids Day.
When it comes to children’s mental health and wellness, family conversations are key to gaining insight into what children are thinking and feeling, discovering problems and working toward solutions together. As Mental Health Awareness Month closes, it’s critical these conversations about mental health continue every day.
The behavioral health experts at On Our Sleeves say it’s increasingly important for parents to have routine, mindful conversations with their children to build healthy relationships, learn about problems, identify solutions and build confidence.
Parents and caregivers need the education to understand and the resources to support their child’s mental health. On Our Sleeves has developed Operation: Conversation to help families start to have those important conversations.
“We are thrilled to have Governor Mike DeWine’s support for On Our Sleeves with his official recognition of Conversations With Kids Day,” said Ariana Hoet, executive clinical director of On Our Sleeves and pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Not only are one in five children living with a significant mental health concern, but all children experience strong emotions and difficult moments. With this proclamation, the governor is helping us achieve our mission of providing free educational resources that break stigmas, increase mental health literacy and educate on the habits and skills necessary to support children’s mental health.”
Nearly 1,000 mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in partnership with other trusted experts, provide their real-world knowledge and expertise to power The On Our Sleeves Movement For Children’s Mental Health, which envisions a world where mental health is part of the upbringing of every child.
The State of Ohio has invested in supporting mental health services for Ohio’s children, and the governor’s recognition of Conversations With Kids Day displays a continued effort to raise awareness for On Our Sleeves and children’s mental health.
For more information on participating in Conversations With Kids Day, visit OnOurSleeves.org.
About The On Our Sleeves® Movement For Children’s Mental Health:
Children don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves. With 1 in 5 children living with a significant mental health concern and half of all lifetime mental health concerns starting by age 14, we need to give them a voice. The On Our Sleeves Movement For Children’s Mental Health, created by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of the United States’ largest network of pediatric behavioral health treatment providers and researchers, is on a mission to give expert-created resources to all U.S. communities so everyone can understand and promote mental health for children.
Our vision is to build a world where mental health is a part of the upbringing of every single child. Nearly 1,000 mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide Children’s, in partnership with other trusted experts, provide their real-world knowledge and expertise to power On Our Sleeves.
Since the inception of On Our Sleeves in 2018, more than 6 million people in every state across the United States has interacted with the movement’s free pediatric mental health education resources at OnOurSleeves.org.
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care.
Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 14,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.6 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.