HOPE MEANS NEVADA TEEN ADVOCATES FOR MORE MENTAL HEALTH CURRICULA IN SCHOOLS

HOPE MEANS NEVADA TEEN COMMITTEE MEMBER ADVOCATES FOR NEVADA
BILL REQUIRING MORE MENTAL HEALTH CURRICULA IN SCHOOLS

Bill to be Presented on Monday, April 3 in Carson City

Click Here for Downloadable Photos, Video

WHAT:
Hope Means Nevada (HMN), the community-based non-profit focused on mental wellness and eliminating youth suicide in the state, announces HMN Teen Committee member Robert Barsel’s recent collaboration with Nevada legislators to put forth Senate Bill 313. The bill, sponsored by Senator Roberta Lange, Senator Lisa Krasner, Senator Scott Hammond and Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, will adopt standards for more mental health curricula in Nevada schools.

To raise awareness around Nevada’s high rates of mental health challenges and suicide, HMN strives to amplify hope and connect youth with desperately needed resources. SB 313 would adopt standards whereby health education would also include mental health education, including the relationship between mental and physical health. The bill also states mental health education must include information pertaining to mental health resources such as access to mental health workers and suicide awareness and prevention information. In addition, teachers would need to complete courses in mental health education in order to obtain or renew a license to teach.

WHO:
Hope Means Nevada Teen Committee member Robert Barsel is a junior at The Meadows School in Las Vegas. Most recently, he has worked with legislators listed on SB 313 to support more mental health curricula in Nevada schools and will be present for the presentation alongside Senator Lange.

Ciera Bellavance, Hope Means Nevada executive director, will provide testimony supporting the bill remotely from the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas.

WHEN:
Monday, April 3, at 1 p.m.

WHERE:
Carson City:
Nevada State Legislature
401 S. Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701

Las Vegas:
Grant Sawyer Building
555 E. Washington Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89101

 MEDIA RSVP:
To schedule an interview with a Hope Means Nevada spokesperson, please email Vanessa Thill at vanessa@thevoxagency.com.

ABOUT HOPE MEANS NEVADA
Hope Means Nevada’s (HMN) mission is to eliminate teen suicide and empower Nevada’s youth to live hopeful lives. As one of the most trusted and visible mental health resources in the state, HMN inspires a culture of empathy and advocacy around mental health. While raising awareness around Nevada’s high rates of mental health challenges, the organization strives to amplify hope and connect youth with desperately needed resources. Through collaborative, compassionate, inclusive and impactful efforts, the community-based initiative envisions a suicide-free Nevada. For more information about Hope Means Nevada, go to www.hopemeansnevada.org and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The new National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is now three-digit dialing code 988. Those experiencing a mental health emergency can also text “Home” to 741741 to reach the National Crisis Text Line.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Vanessa Thill/ Erika Pope
The Vox Agency
vanessa@thevoxagency.com, erika@thevoxagency.com
(469) 226-4723, (702) 249-2977

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