ALPHA CHI OMEGA IS COMMITTED TO PUTTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR MEMBERS FIRST.
We believe Alpha Chi Omega members have the power to positively influence their mental well-being and change the culture of mental health – one day at a time. As an organization, Alpha Chi Omega strives to empower our members to engage in open dialogue about mental health and support their sisters in taking action to improvemaintain and protect their mental well-being.
As members continue to express their challenges with anxiety, stress, depression and substance abuse, we continue to be a leading organization providing them with developmental opportunities to facilitate and engage in critical conversations about mental health as they navigate mental health conditions.
Through mental health programming and awareness campaigns, Alpha Chi Omega brings attention to the importance of mental health as a daily practice. By partnering with nonprofit organizations championing mental health, we are able to provide members with resources on mental wellness, raise awareness about common mental health issues and reduce the stigma around seeking support for a mental health challenge.
Explore more Alpha Chi mental health initiatives, educational programming, national partnerships and resources
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). To promote a positive relationship with mental health, Alpha Chi Omega encourages members to raise awareness about the commonality of mental health challenges and give attention to the essential function mental wellness plays in our daily lives. During MHAM, members are provided advocacy resources, mental health programming, self-care practices and wellness tools to cultivate their mental health.
Alpha Chi Omega will focus this year on empowering members to connect with their mental health. The MHAM Connection Guide will share how to care for mental well-being by connecting with self, others, community and professional support.
WEEK OF MAY 1-4: CONNECT TO SELF
WEEK OF MAY 5-11: CONNECT TO OTHERS
WEEK OF MAY 12-18: CONNECT TO COMMUNITY
WEEK OF MAY 19-25: CONNECT TO RESOURCES
WEEK OF MAY 26-31: CONNECT TO PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
TAKE ACTION ON MENTAL HEALTH ACTION DAY
Mental Health Action Day was founded to drive mental health awareness into action. An initiative powered by MTV, Mental Health Action Day empowers individuals to advocate and act for their mental well-being. Join us on Thursday, May 16 as we dedicate one hour to connection on Mental Health Action Day and beyond. Participate in Alpha Chi Omega’s Connection Challenge on this important day by sharing your #MentalHealthAction and tagging Alpha Chi Omega headquarters (@AlphaChiOmegaHQ) for the chance to win AXΩ giveaways!
why #AXOMENTALHEALTHMATTERS
Open conversations about mental health and well-being, help develop deeper connections and build stronger bonds with others. Use the AXΩ Connection Cards to foster healthy relationships and explore your mental health on a personal level.
Promote mental health by hanging the “Take What You Need” flyer in your chapter facility, across your campus or in your community!
Mental health is connected to physical health. Listen to Alpha Chi Omega’s Mental Health Playlist while you work or exercise to boost your mood.
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Take a mental health break with Alpha Chi Omega’s coloring pages. Choose from seven different designs!
Use your social network to share the importance of mental health. Check out the Instagram and Facebook assets available in the MHAM Google Drive to show your support and raise awareness about mental wellness.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
CHORDS OF HARMONY
The Chords of Harmony program, developed in partnership with Active Minds, is an interactive, peer-facilitated mental health curriculum focused on developing collegiate members’ awareness of emotional well-being and creating a culture of care. The goal of the program is to provide members with tools to engage in dialogue on mental health in their chapter and campus community.
All lessons include a facilitation guide, participant guide and PowerPoint to assist collegians in leading conversations with sisters. Each lesson is designed to be facilitated as a 30- to 45-minute chapter-wide workshop, chapter program or small group discussion. The lessons are adaptable and can be facilitated in any order to meet members where they are in their mental health journey.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Taking a screening can be a first step to learning if you are having more than just a bad day. Alpha Chi Omega partners with MindWise Innovations to provide anonymous and confidential mental health screenings. Screenings can be used by members or in support of a loved one as a tool for determining if their thoughts and feelings are related to a mental health issue. It’s like a checkup from your neck up!
Members can access 13 screenings on the following topics and common mental health concerns: depression, alcohol use, eating disorder, substance use, opioid misuse, gambling, generalized anxiety, anger, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, adolescent depression, well-being screen and psychosis. Demographic information gathered from the mental health screenings will not affect a member’s screening outcomes and is used only in utilization reports.
This document provides tips for recognizing the early warning signs of a mental health crisis, helping a sister who may be in distress and understanding when to escalate to urgent, emergency support for help.
Want to know more about how to help a sister, loved one or get support you need? This resource provides a list of organizations that support different mental health needs. You can also use these resources to locate a licensed mental health professional in your local area.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE
HELP IS HERE FOR YOU
One call, text or chat can be a lifesaving step for those experiencing a mental health crisis. Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) if you or a loved one is in mental health distress, a substance use emergency or suicide crisis. The Lifeline offers 24/7, free and confidential support, prevention and crisis resources from its national network of local crisis centers and trained professionals.
If you or a friend need resources to help a young person of color, text "STEVE" to 741-741 to access a culturally trained counselor or visit The Steve Fund.
If you or a friend need resources to help a person who identifies as LGBTQ, text "START" to 678-678 to access counselors trained to support LGBTQ communities or visit The Trevor Project.
PARTNERSHIPS
Active Minds – the nation’s premier nonprofit organization for young adult mental health awareness and education – partners with Alpha Chi Omega on mental health curricula and awareness initiatives aimed at creating healthy spaces for authentic conversation about emotional health. Alpha Chi Omega’s collaboration with Active Minds allows for the development of mental health tools and educational resources to foster healthy mental well-being for our members.
Alpha Chi Omega partners with MindWise Innovations, a nonprofit organization and pioneer of large-scale mental health screenings for common mental and behavioral health disorders. MindWise Innovations provides Alpha Chi Omega members with access to mental health screenings as well as resources, trainings and support services covering the full continuum of mental health. From prevention to crisis response, MindWise offers evidence-based solutions for suicide prevention, mental health and substance use that prioritize the well-being of our members.