DESIGNED FOR HEALTH PLANS & MCOs
Youth Mental Health Prevention
Reduce Youth Behavioral Health Escalations. Lower PMPM Costs. Close Health Equity Gaps.
Partner with Erika’s Lighthouse to deploy Tier-1, non-clinical youth mental health education across your plan's footprint—zero clinical burden, rapid 6-week go-live.
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CONSERVATIVE 5% PREVENTION RATE
Upstream Crisis Prevention & Cost Avoidance
Unmanaged mental distress and youth depression drives high-cost emergency room visits, inpatient stays, and claims volatility. Erika’s Lighthouse embeds universal, skills-based curriculum in K-12 schools—preventing crisis escalation before it starts.
Direct Cost Avoidance of
Impacting 25,000 Students
Impacting 25,000 Students
$170,320
Represents combined savings (Medicaid & Commercial) at a low 5% prevention rate.
ER avoidance: $46,320/year.
Inpatient avoidance: $77,500/year.
Residential avoidance: $46,500/year.
Total: $170,320/year
This is a cost-neutral, non-clinical model requiring zero licensed staff or billing infrastructure.
SEAMLESS ALIGNMENT WITH MCO GOALS
Reportable Quality Metrics & NCQA Equity Alignment
National Alignment
Meet state procurement mandates, HEDIS-adjacent engagement targets, and NCQA Health Equity Accreditation standards.
- Healthy People 2030: Directly supports MHMD-01, 02, 03, and EMC-D04 indicators.
- Proven Equity Impact: 15% gain in Hispanic students and 12% gain in Black students in Title I schools identifying trusted adults.
- Stigma Reduction: 23% reduction in student discomfort seeking help from a trusted adult.
Real-Time Data Reporting
Through our online Data Center health plan partners receive real-time, non-PHI reporting on program reach and outcomes:
- 11% overall increase in identifying an adult
- 89% of students demonstrate an improved ability to identify signs of depression.
- 91% report having the knowledge needed to care for their mental health.
- Staff recognition of signs & symptoms: from 86.8% → 96.5%
SCALABLE, UNIVERSAL, EFFECTIVE & FREE
Programs Built for Operational Alignment
Erika’s Lighthouse is a national non-profit delivering non-clinical, comprehensive mental health education and suicide prevention programs across 50 states. By empowering educators, students, families and youth-facing community staff rather than relying on external clinical personnel, the model builds sustainable, universal behavioral health literacy without increasing administrative or claims burdens.
Comprehensive 4-Pillar Model
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Value: Wraparound, Tier-1 behavioral health promotion that engages students, educators, and families in schools across the member ecosystem.
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Function: Integrates Classroom Education, Peer Empowerment Clubs, Family Engagement, and Staff Training into existing school and CBO infrastructure (PBIS, MTSS, SEL).
- Impact: Creates multiple touchpoints to build mental health literacy and active help-seeking behaviors before crisis escalation.
Zero Claims, Zero-Cost Deployment
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Value: Predictable budget impact with zero clinical billing infrastructure, credentialing friction, or claims volatility.
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Function: All digital curricula and turnkey tools are provided at zero cost to local schools and districts.
- Impact: Sits upstream of diagnosis to prevent expensive ER visits ($46.3k annual savings per 25,000 youth) and inpatient admissions without adding administrative overhead.
Educate-the-Educator Capacity Building
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Value: Long-term sustainability that scales across your plan footprint without increasing headcount.
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Function: Unlimited, no-cost 1-on-1 support trains existing school staff and youth-facing mentors—elevating educator depression recognition from 86.8% to 96.5%.
- Impact: Eliminates dependence on external contractors and ensures rapid, 6-week turnkey implementation.
Bilingual & Culturally Adaptive Delivery
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Value: Direct alignment with NCQA Health Equity Accreditation, state procurement mandates, and CMS health equity frameworks.
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Function: Turnkey digital resources provided in English and Spanish to engage diverse member populations.
- Impact: Drives measurable health equity outcomes, including a 15% gain in Hispanic students and 12% gain in Black students in Title I schools identifying trusted adults.
EXPANDING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS
Your Investment In Action
IMPACT K-12 DISTRICTS & SCHOOLS
Turnkey, digital advocacy toolkits that allow plans to map local school districts, identify decision-makers, and fund free, school-based behavioral health prevention at scale in priority markets.
IMPACT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Jargon-free training that equips non-clinical youth-facing staff (coaches, mentors, camp leaders) to act as early-intervention trusted adults.
ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND TERRITORIAL HEALTH OFFICIALS
School-Based Programs as Best Practice
Supporting Adolescent Health Through School-Based Health Programs
"Engaging adolescents through school-based health programs (external link) can be effective in addressing these concerns — as schools reach 95% of youth in the United States, creating a pathway to assess student health and implement evidence-based initiatives to promote overall well-being."
"Establishing safe and supportive school environments fosters safety, trust, respect, positive relationships, and open communication while reducing violent behavior, health risk behaviors, and poor mental health and loneliness."
EXPAND IN YOUR STATE
Request A Partnership Brief
Ready to Scale Prevention in Your State?
Erika's Lighthouse offers a flat-fee, annual project model, scalable up to five projects per state annually.
Each statewide project delivers:
- 25,000+ Students Impacted across 50 newly onboarded schools.
- Embedded Professional Community Ambassadors (PCAs) driving local implementation in priority markets.
- Real-Time Data Access on implementation metrics and outcome surveys (non-PHI).
- Co-Branded Marketing & Visibility: Partner logo placement on all state Resource Portals for educators and supporters, joint webinar presentations, social media, and conference visibility.
To learn more about our programs and discuss how to bring Erika's Lighthouse to your states, contact Gina Guinta by email or 847-386-6481.
REAL STORIES
Moments of Hope
I hope that this message finds you well and that you are having an excellent Mental Health Awareness Month! NCCVT has been promoting, supporting and engaging with Erika’s Lighthouse Positivity Pledge as one of our Mental Health Awareness Activities.
In regard to our HB301 programming, NCCVT is going to continue to utilize Erika’s Lighthouse programming for the 2025-2026 school year, and efforts are already underway to support planning and relaunch for next year.
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Hazel
School Professional from Delaware
Great thank you, we love the program and can tell that it helps our students too!
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Riley
School Counselor from Delaware
We have actually used the one-day lesson for each grade at our school. I loved the material and I think it did a really good job connecting with our students. I plan to explore other lessons and resources on the website!
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Anthony
School Counselor from Missouri
I am able to empathize more and understand the role I can play to get others help.
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Madelyn
Student
The specific program we are using is the Level II- we broke up the lessons into the 3 days that were provided (signs and symptoms of depression, help seeking, coping strategies). The majority of our student population here is Asian American so the student stories (specifically Mason and Lindsay) have been very relatable and helpful!!!!!
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Kelly Backus
Health Educator from New York
This program is evidenced-based, easy to understand, free, and seems to require little prep. It offers empowerment club options for students who are further interested in doing suicide prevention work. It offers family engagement strategies which is a huge component to successful suicide prevention work. I appreciate the "whole school culture" component as well as that is vital to implementing systemic changes in schools. There is representation of diverse group of young people in the slides and videos, and offers options for no gender identity disclosure. There are updated resources, such as national crisis line. It's available in English and Spanish!!
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Nova
School Professional from Oregon
We implemented some of the lessons this year and had some positive feedback. New, fresh, and easy-to-follow lessons were appreciated by our teachers. Thank you for the support!
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Luca
School Counselor from Tennessee
It was incredibly inspiring to hear of the resources and service project opportunities Erika's Lighthouse provides. The Beacon of Hope door signs intrigued me the most, and I decided I wanted to implement that at my school!
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Aubrey
Student from Maine
It has shifted my perspective of depression and also taught me of some of the signs of depression that I can recognize in friends so I can get support them and help them get proper treatment
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Broadie
Student
What drew me to Erika’s Lighthouse wasn’t simply the opportunity to run the Chicago Marathon. It was the organization’s mission to educate young people, families, and educators about mental health, reduce stigma, and provide support before someone reaches a crisis point. That mission is deeply personal to me.
I lost my younger brother after a long battle with mental health challenges and substance use, and I often think about how access to education, support, and open conversations surrounding mental health during his school years could have made a difference. Being able to run in his memory while supporting an organization whose mission aligns so closely with my family’s experience is truly an honor.
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Santiago
Team Resilience Participant
I appreciate YOU!! Folks are still reaching out about how great your webinar was and the materials are being accessed in our Social Work Resource Library!!
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Dr. J.R. Bullard-Batiste
School Professional
I hope this finds you doing well!!! We were able to use Ericka’s Light House Curriculum (Level III) with our high school students. It was phenomenal!! What a gift to be able to use it. It was well put together, easy to use and covered just the right information.
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Willow
School Counselor from Ohio
We have always felt supported by the amazing people at Erika's Lighthouse! We always receive quick responses to our questions and they are always willing to help!
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Layla
School Professional
I need to tell you how excellent your training is. Two years ago, I lost my first student to suicide. I was devastated. I didn't know the signs. I didn't know how to help if I would have seen the signs. I felt helpless. I would have paid for your training. I'm sharing with fellow teachers and my administration. Thank you. Thank you so much for being a source of hope.
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Maya
School Professional from Minnesota
I just wanted to let you know that we taught the Level III program to our 11th graders on Monday. Today we are doing the Level II program for all of our 7th graders. We love the program!
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Jayden
School Counselor from Pennsylvania
Attached is our completed data for the Dubuque Community School District. In talking with the counselors, they all feel Erika's lighthouse is valuable, quality curriculum!
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Have a great summer!
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Ava
Administrator from Iowa
I used this for approximately 115 students. I had a student come up to me toward the end of this and tell me that she has been able open up to her therapist (she's missed a TON of school) and get hard things off of her chest that she has been carrying. I honestly do not know if she has missed a school day since we started that lesson two weeks ago.
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Mia
School Professional from Indiana
I work as a school psychologist for CPS, and my school just started implementing the Erika's Lighthouse curriculum to 6-8th graders a few weeks ago. Getting to educate people first hand on what this curriculum is all about has been such a rewarding experience, and I love that I get to be a part of this movement both inside the school and outside!
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Claire
School Counselor from Illinois
We actually just used the program for our Mental Health Wellness Day this past Wednesday. Students and staff really loved the content!
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Addison
School Counselor from Kentucky
I always aim to pair the topic with actionable wellness activities Club Advisors can take back to their club/school campus — and that’s where “Take a Compliment” activity came into play. We truly enjoy incorporating Erika’s Lighthouse into our programming. We consistently encourage Club Advisors to explore your resources, register as an official or affiliate club, and integrate materials from the four (4) pillar model into their schools.
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Miles
School Social Worker
I used several slides from the staff trainings to do a professional development session with our school staff and ended our session with a round of the mental health bingo. It was a great closing to a heavy topic. I did complete the impact form to report on what I used.
Thank you for your offering in partnership, will be sure to reach out if questions arise!
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Penelope
School Professional from California
Students have the option of three writing prompts. Two have to deal with either direct or indirect experiences with depression. The third option is to summarize what was in the video and discuss three important points other students should know. Some students don't feel comfortable writing about their own experiences or don't have any to write about which is why we provide this third option. Students seem to really enjoy the video either way! They often mention how they like the different representation of students, especially the young man who talks about having to 'wear the pants' in the family.
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Logan
Health Educator from New York
The information is accurate. I led a parent workshop on April 26th for the PTA of our school. About 25 parents attended and a couple of them have more than one child in our school. I used the "We all have Mental Health" PPT Presentation for this workshop. Thank you for the wonderful resources available on your website. I look forward to using more of the products in the next school year.
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Joseph Pena
School Counselor from New York
Thank you SO much. The feedback has been incredibly positive, our staff reported that they learned so much and found the training so valuable and much more related to their work relative to the previous trainings.
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Eleanor
School Professional from California
I am half way through. I think it is very well laid out. I am using this for the 6th grade level and I see that it is 4th-6th. It is a bit "little kid" but the kids haven't said anything and a part of me thinks it is almost more appropriate. I've enjoyed the logistical side, the colorful handouts and just the ease of implementing it. Thank it. I will fill out the form when we are done!!
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Daniel
Health Educator from Oregon
I am very thankful for you and the team who created this program and made it available for us. I am glad I got to know it in one of ISCA's workshops.
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Elena
School Counselor from International
Our middle and upper school counselors did do a faculty/staff training on suicide prevention just before spring break. It was a great presentation, and teachers appreciated the examples on how to talk to a student.
Again, thanks for your support and we’ll be in touch if we need more.
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Joshua
School Professional
I very much appreciate your resources b/c they are wonderful and free!!!
We are a small 1A school in Kansas and typically don't have a lot of funds for resources such as this!
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Lillian
School Counselor
This workshop shares great tips on what we can do to help children who are experiencing depression or thoughts of suicide. The power of listening to what our children have to say when it comes to their mental health, can be the difference between a moment of sadness or a lifelong battle with depression
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Omayra Nieves
School Professional from Illinois
I am no longer teaching Health, so I won't be a part of your fabulous curriculum. I really liked the entire program and so did the kids I used it with. They were 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
I am forever a fan and if there's any way I can help "get the word out" for Erika's Lighthouse please contact me.
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Ethan
Health Educator from Minnesota
In the month of September the high school mental health clinician utilized the Give Voice tools to educate around Suicide Awareness at the Tier 1 schoolwide level. At our high school, we just engaged in a High School Student Safety Training day that included all 9-12th graders engaging in safety education in seminar type classes around physical and emotional health including CPR/AED/First AID-stop the bleed, Erika's Lighthouse Level III Depression Education & Suicide Awareness, and school violence prevention with OK2Say presenting. Time was also spent practicing a fire drill, tornado drill, lockdown drill,
and evacuation procedures. This was the first time I facilitated the classroom education presentation, but found it to be a great fit for what we wanted to educate our students on today. I am looking forward to seeing the data from the Pre and Post Education Surveys! We also will be moving forward with connecting regarding beginning an Empowerment Club. I am truly appreciating the data connection for our prevention efforts around student mental health that Erika's Lighthouse provides! Thank you!
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Devon Raap
School Social Worker from Michigan
We used the Level II program in October. It was a great success! We saw a large jump in understanding (81%) in knowledge of depression symptoms across all three grade levels.
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Isaac
School Counselor from New Hampshire
I am totally going to start using these resources with my therapy clients outside of school too (I am a LPC Candidate here in Oklahoma outside of school hours). Thank you so much- Erika's Lighthouse is a wonderful organization!
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Nathan
School Social Worker from Oklahoma
We used the Level 2 platform/curriculum from Erika’s Lighthouse this fall in our mental health unit in health class with our entire student body (49 students). The student stories were especially helpful and engaging, as their diverse experiences really resonated with our students. The program prompted some incredible class conversations and reflections, and we feel it has fostered a lasting understanding of depression and suicide awareness.
We’re grateful for the resources Erika’s Lighthouse provides—thank you for making this program accessible!
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Charles
School Counselor from Kentucky
I just finished one lesson for 7th graders, approximately 80 students. I appreciate many aspects of the lessons, but the self-referral cards, which are distributed each year, help put our students in contact with our school counselors, and I am always grateful.
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Michael
Health Educator from California
"I am so happy and satisfied with the Erika's Lighthouse Program. I am a new school social worker, so the fact that they provide so many resources for FREE is truly a lifesaver, and makes it so much more accessible. They provide step by step instructions and training on how to successfully implement the program. You can tell from the program and the organization's mission that they genuinely support mental health and suicide awareness/prevention, which is truly admirable. I think it is so important for students to hear from other students about their experiences, especially from different backgrounds and perspectives, and this program does that!"
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Sarah
School Social Worker from Illinois
I can't express just how much this support means to me as it allows for our kids to access programming and initiatives that they wouldn't otherwise be able to."
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Mateo
School Professional from Washington
After teaching the lessons, I see a large increase in students self-reporting and reports regarding friends/classmates who they have noticed some changes with and think they need check-ins from the counselor.
The program has a positive impact on students becoming more aware about mental health and importance of addressing it sooner than later. It is slowly taking away the "stigma" of seeking help from counselors or trusted adults at school.
My work load increased significantly after the lessons, yet I don't mind because my students are noticing and addressing their mental health in a positive and healthy manner.
I am thankful for all the work that is happening with the program!
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Grace
School Counselor from International
I love promoting good mental health through lessons and activities and have been super proud of my club members for wanting to do the same!!
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Jill, Professsional Community Ambassador
School Social Worker from Kansas
I think my ability to help someone has definitely improved and I now know to seek help if I think they need it.
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Valentina
Student
Wonderful! Thanks so much! We don't have a counseling budget at the school so I am so grateful for the support for our kiddos.
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Brooke Fox
School Professional
I happened to go on to the ELH site to dig around again. I had never looked deeply to the dashboard. Wow is all I have to say. Very impressive.
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Jonathan
School Social Worker from Minnesota
We love using Erika's lighthouse for our mandatory Suicide and depression materials to get out to students and families and have been using this program for several years now. We appreciate you for allowing us to continue to use the programming for our district.
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Jack
School Professional from Kentucky
I am more open minded and more comfortable with talking and opening up about this topic.
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Roman
Student
I am so grateful to have had the privilege of providing our students with Erika's Lighthouse programming! It has made a world of difference in the lives of many of our students who use the information and insights to help themselves and others. I am amazed at how the program has developed and all of the excellent resources that are provided. I know the district is planning to continue using the program and possibly expanding the use of it so I am very happy about that!
I am getting excited about retirement - after 34 years in education, I'm ready for my summer to be home and family focused.
However, presenting the Erika's Lighthouse lessons is one of the things I will miss greatly.
Thank YOU all for all you do - you are truly making a difference!
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Julian
School Counselor from Illinois
I am using the Erika's Lighthouse resources in my 6th grade health classes as a way to end our mental health unit. These resources have served as great learning tools for our classroom.
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Avery
Health Educator from Ohio
My colleagues and I presented to faculty and staff at the at professional development sessions at each of our schools with the plan for incorporating mental health programming into the 2024-2025 school year. Faculty and staff in NCCVT continue to register for Erika’s Lighthouse and complete the introductory training. They also have access to the implementation video and teacher reference guide. Our Instructional Coaches have created Schoology folders for faculty that will be delivering the content. They have also created a Schoology Course for our students.
As a district, we have framed our movement forward with adopting and implementing Erika’s Lighthouse mental health programming as an ‘all hands on deck’ endeavor. Moving beyond legislative compliance, we are utilizing the resources from your organization to increase the mental health literacy of our students and to further build the capacity of our faculty and staff to recognize potential mental health needs and refer to the best possible resource for support. Draft parent/family letters to parents, with embedded links to resources, have been prepared in English and Spanish (based on the templates provided on the Erika’s Lighthouse website)
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Sophia
School Professional from Delaware
We shared the Conversation Cards with our families in our May Mental Health Awareness Month counseling newsletter that was shared with all of our families.
We have 1707 students enrolled with us. It seemed like the easiest lift for our busy families and we appreciated the multiple languages.
Thanks!
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Grayson
School Counselor from Washington
I am piloting it in one of my 5th grade classrooms. I have 17 students and they are really enjoying it. It is sparking great conversations. I am hoping to implement with all my 5th grade next year.
As a school counselor I enjoy it and students are relating to it so much.
Thank you!
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Henry
School Professional from South Dakota
I am excited to have ELTEC back at OLHMS. To be honest, the students will not let this club falter and demand its return! We have 20 students signed up for ELTEC this year!
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Oliver
School Professional
We used the Level 2 platform/curriculum from Erika’s Lighthouse this fall in our mental health unit in health class with our entire student body (49 students). The student stories were especially helpful and engaging, as their diverse experiences really resonated with our students. The program prompted some incredible class conversations and reflections, and we feel it has fostered a lasting understanding of depression and suicide awareness.
We’re grateful for the resources Erika’s Lighthouse provides—thank you for making this program accessible!
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Emily
Health Educator from Oregon
meeting new people and knowing that I was helping many people along the way
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Ezekiel
Student
I love your programs! We have a small school in Northeast Ohio and I present your programing every year to our 6,7, and 8th grade students.
I also use the Positivity pledge every year and make it a fun event for the students to participate as much as possible. This year they are painting stones for week 3 that can be placed around our school yard to remind everyone how important they are to us.
Thank you for all that you provide to us
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Violet
School Counselor from Ohio
This program kept me interested and informed and I really appreciate that I can now help myself or someone I know who may be struggling with depression.
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Colton
Student
We will be using Erika's lighthouse. We have used ADAP in the past, but I just feel that the stories and the materials you have to offer are much more relevant and relatable to our kids. I do not have any questions at this time, the website and resources are great.
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Evelyn
School Professional from Illinois
For our PD I used the staff training video, it was amazing!!!
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Thomas
School Counselor from Missouri
We are truly grateful for the wonderful resources you provide through the Erika’s Lighthouse website.
Starting this academic year, our school will be using your materials in our homeroom program. We believe they will be a meaningful support for our students, and we are thankful in advance for the positive impact they will bring to our community.
Thank you for your dedication and investment in students’ well-being.
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Mila
School Counselor from International
And btw, I LOVE the resource portal...saves soo much work finding activities on our own.
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Amelia
School Professional from Kentucky
I’m not sure how often you get to hear the impact your work is having day to day, so I wanted to share a story with you of something that happened today. Four 8th graders stopped into my office to express concern over some things a friend had been posting on social media. I know this child has struggled with depression in the past (he self referred after an Erika’s lighthouse lesson a couple of years back) but his peers don’t know that. One of the students said “we are just worried about him because we remembered those symptoms of depression we learned from Erika’s Lighthouse (she actually remembered the name of the program because she’s been getting the lessons since 5th grade) and he seems to check a lot of the boxes”.
I have known that the program has changed SN for a while now based on how many kids come talk to us about their own depression or with concerns about peers. But this was the first time a student actually identified the impact your specific program made on them. They got their last lesson in May 2023, so the information stuck with them for that long.
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Johanna Jacobson
School Counselor
I feel more confident to help someone or guide someone who has depression
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Hunter
Student
Like many, running has been an incredible buoy for my own mental health. When I ran my first marathon in 2017, it felt only natural to partner with Erika’s Lighthouse. This year will be my 7th year running in support of ELH, and it continues to be an incredible way to alchemize the complex feelings that can come with taking care of your mental health, or supporting your family and friends in a similar journey.
Donating to Erika’s Lighthouse is an investment in the resiliency of our youth, and a collective rising tide that believes mental health matters.
Thank you for supporting our mission.
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Axel
Team Resilience Participant
All the people and making friends! and also how we collaborated and shared new ideas to help are school community with mental health!
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Leilani
Student
We are using the one day depression education lesson in high school ROTC and 11th grade health classes. We added two of the program addition activities to break up the lesson and include an interactive, skill-building component - 'Having Supportive Conversations with Peers' and 'Text from a Friend'.
We are receiving positive feedback from students and the team who facilitated the material.
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Jackson
School Professional
At the Advancing School Mental Health Conference, I stopped by the Erika's Lighthouse table and I loved the RECHARGE 5 minute classroom break cards! So awesome! I also loved that it talked about a mental health boost - such great language to use (versus mindfulness - which is also good but can have a negative connotation to it for some educators).
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Leo
School Professional from Kentucky
The program has been very well-received by both our staff and students. The materials are engaging, age-appropriate, and have been effective in starting important conversations about mental health. The teachers love the program because it is easy to implement while also providing quality instruction.
Thank you again for keeping these essential programs free for school communities like ours. We look forward to using Erika's Lighthouse resources again this year.
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Hannah
School Counselor from Kentucky
We did the lesson to about 500 total 8th grade students between the two schools. We all loved the student stories and students seemed to really be invested and participated in discussion when we got to the student stories.
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Josiah
School Counselor
I LOVE Erika's Lighthouse and everything it is about. I was just telling another counselor about how I used it last year and had teachers with their lighthouses outside their classroom doors, etc. Of course, because of my name, it caught my attention and then, I just went from there. 🙂 Thank you for your support!!!
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Erika
School Counselor from South Carolina
This year, I’ve incorporated some activities from the Erika’s Lighthouse resources page into various Life Skills and Values lessons for our students. I’ve also used specific activities, such as the "Footprints to the Counselor’s Office" and the "Take a Compliment" poster, to promote awareness and support.
In total, these activities have reached approximately 300 middle school students across grades 6-8
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Eliana
School Counselor from International
My ability to help someone with depression has completely changed after the Erikas Lighthouse Program because I can see signs of depression, and I know who to call if I or someone else needs help.
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Cameron
Student
Thank you all for providing such great resources for our students!
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Wyatt
School Professional from Georgia
We have been using these materials and so appreciate them. Everything from the parent letter down to the self-referral. Thank you so much for this
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William
Administrator
I love this data center. We should aspire to have a data center like this.
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Isla
School Professional
The other day, I had printed out the document for tearing off a positive quote. The students at my school have already used them up!
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Brooklyn
School Professional from South Dakota
Your site is filled with a variety of helpful tools. I'm the PK-5th grade principal. How do other elementary schools utilize your resources? I watched the suicide and depression staff training. It was very beneficial and thought provoking.
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David
Administrator from Oklahoma
My favorite part of being in our Empowerment Club is] being in a very nice community who all care about fighting the stigma
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Savannah
Student
Thank you!!!! The results are super helpful, and I like having the data as another talking point as to why these conversations matter!!
I appreciate ALL that you do to support teen mental health 😊
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Carter
School Counselor from Ohio
Erika's lighthouse gave me real insight through the stories of the people in the video.
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Kennedy
Student
Love the updates to the resource portal. We are going to be down a social worker this year in my building so I am going solo this year. Due to my services in the building being reduced, I have already completed my Depression Awareness presentation with my junior high students and was grateful to be able to use the website in the presentation. I also utilize some of the resources you have on the portal in some of my small groups too for some of my kids that are struggling with anxiety, depression and mood regulation. Lots of great resources so thank you!
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Nolan
School Social Worker
I LOVE the resources and ideas presented at last week’s meeting. I came specifically so I could learn about the legislation mentioned in the title, but was just blown away with your website, and all the offerings.
This school year we began hosting monthly webinar with our MTSS team called “BreakDown” and follow our resource, “BreakDown MTSS Planning Matrix” with monthly mental health topics and Tier One resources that support students, staff, families and local community events. I’m always looking for motivating ideas for activities that that improve culture on campus, and feel like the work being done by Erika’s Lighthouse is such an inspiration to me.
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Kym Barber
School Professional
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ASCA Conference
School Counselor
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ASCA Conference
School Counselor
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ASCA Conference
School Counselor
Sally Lou Loveman
Donor from Illinois
Jason Dane
Health Educator from Illinois
Alexandra Greenberg
Donor from Illinois
Zoe Adelstein
Student from Illinois
Cassie Brooks
Health Educator from Indiana
Michelle Westerling
Health Educator from Massachusetts
Jennifer Bellissimo
School Professional from Massachusetts
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Jillian Evans
School Counselor from New Mexico
I am now more open minded towards those suffering with depression and I also now have better references to refer friends to seek help.
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Aurelia
Student
We were scheduled to do a different two part lesson on depression but Erika's Lighthouse was a much better fit for our sophomores. We used the first lesson in its entirety and did lessons 2 and 3 as a combination as we had enough time.
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Britta
School Counselor from Illinois
From a counselor position, this organization is amazing and I very much appreciate all it's doing to better the lives of our youth
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Kat
School Professional from Illinois
Working with Erika's Lighthouse has been such a positive and meaningful experience for our students at West Leyden. A team of us in the Student Services department collaborate with our Freshman Health teachers to deliver the content to the entire class. Half of our freshmen take Health first semester and half take it second semester so we go in twice a year. This year, we had the Health teachers start off day one with the video and then facilitate a classroom discussion. For the second day, we bring in the Peer Leaders to lead the students in small groups. Another counselor and I co-sponsor the Peer Leaders program for our school so we have about 25-30 students who are natural leaders and are perfect for the job. Within the small groups the students read the stories from the students featured in the video. They also answer the questions from the packets together. We find that having student leaders involved helps bring a different perspective to the lesson. It shows our freshmen that students in the building care about depression and suicide and are willing to speak on the subject. Day three of the program includes our Social Workers going into the classroom and using the day three portion of the lesson. They provide information on who to go to in the school building or outside in the community for help with depression or suicide ideation. I am so grateful to Erika's Lighthouse for developing such a comprehensive set of lessons. The videos have been very enlightening to our students and the handouts provide additional information that truly bring the stories to life. Because there is a range of individuals with different circumstances featured on the video, our students have really been able to identify with the youth on the video. This connection is so critical to educating young people on overcoming the stigma of getting help for mental health issues. I am also thankful that Erika's Lighthouse has been so supportive of our school and our interpretation of their curriculum. Because of Erika's Lighthouse we have been able to focus on delivery and assistance and not on developing curriculum. Thank you, Erika's Lighthouse!
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Shaina
School Professional from Illinois
The information is accurate. I led a parent workshop on April 26th for the PTA of our school. About 25 parents attended and a couple of them have more than one child in our school. I used the We all have Mental Health PPT Presentation for this workshop. Thank you for the wonderful resources available on your website. I look forward to using more of the products in the next school year.
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Joseph
School Counselor from New York
One thing I learned: how to help my family that mental health is normal is that if a person you know has a metnal health needs help them out be confident to talk to someone if you're feeling down I love learning mental health it's so fun! LOL be inspirational and say 'if you think someone is having problems, go talk to them. Stress is a normal feeling and you are not alone' To always love yourself!
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Kira
Student from California
Erika’s Lighthouse was embraced sincerely by all youth, faculty and administrators this past year. I am personally very attached to this phenomenal program. In fact, our evaluator reported the 2020-2021 results are good from the pre & post tests. I will meet with her next week to hear the positive news officially. I have loved and enjoyed every minute of teaching Erika’s Lighthouse. I have the utmost respect for this most important message. In fact, after teaching several prevention programs for eleven (11) years through the Substance Awareness Center, Erika’s Lighthouse is the most important program. Every school district should be offering Erika’s Lighthouse. I am very attached to the mission and message of this extraordinary program which saves lives. Thank you!
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Christina
Community Partner from Florida
Hi there. We were able to present to 385 out of 386 5th grade student in the Neosho Middle school. This material was more grade appropriate than our previous material. There were less false positives with our exit tickets. We will be using this course with our 5th grade students from here on out.
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Thaddeus
School Counselor from Missouri
I was so impressed with the lessons. I was able to include them in my HS health unit this Fall. I showed the video clip which had teen examples that engaged the students and I did the mini poster project and I liked how students responded to the scenarios. I was so grateful that the program was free and easy to implement. NYS mandated health educators to focus more on mental health topics and the curriculum met our new standards.
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Donna
School Professional from New York
I just trained our Freshman using the Erika's Lighthouse Cirriculum and wanted to pass that along to you since I know that you keep track of the numbers. It conintues to be a helpful and impactful video for our students. I am so appreciative, as always!
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Terri
School Professional from Illinois
It has shifted my perspective of depression and also taught me of some of the signs of depression that I can recognize in friends so I can get support them and help them get proper treatment
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Talon
Student
We are just trying to get the kids to be aware that we as a school care about their mental health. We're doing it to show we know it's there, we can help them if it makes it difficult to learn and also it's getting students to connect with their friends over the walk
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Alicia
School Social Worker from Illinois
Sasha and Andre where stress so they Sasha told her mom about it so they watched movies and it calmed her stress for Andre he didn't tell anyone he only told Sasha Sasha told him to watch movies with friends but for Andre it didn't work So he decided to tell his teacher And his teacher told him to do something and Andre stress went away.
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Cassian
Student from California
I think this program helped me a lot and made this topic more understandable to me.
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Cyrus
Student
Students throughout Los Angeles Unified School District have received Erika’s Lighthouse curriculum and have engaged in learning about teen depression, stigma associated with mental health, and coping skills. The program is easily accessible and provides all the materials needed for implementation. The students, school staff and parents that have been provided with the lessons have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the program.
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Ely
School Professional from California
i used to think that depression was not like a real thing and that people where just coming up with excuses to get out of stuff but now i realize that it is a real problem and people who have it actually need help
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Talia
Student
We still use Erika’s Lighthouse for our yearly mental health curriculum. Our students enjoy the interactive lessons and I feel our district have come a long way in our education since employing your curriculum. We will continue to use your resources for as long as i am here.
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Scott
School Professional from Illinois
This program is very educational and helped me know the symptoms and how to help someone with depression.
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Silas
Student
Thank you Erika’s Lighthouse for continuing to partner with us as we use the classroom program. It is a vital part of our Health unit when we cover Mental Health. We really appreciate that counselors have built a successful partnership with our Health teachers due to this program.
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Helen
School Professional from Illinois
I use your materials with our upper schoolers and LOVE your programming.
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Veda
School Professional
Wonderful! Thanks so much! We don't have a counseling budget at the school so I am so grateful for the support for our kiddos.
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Brooke
School Counselor from Washington
These assesments are amazing! My students are sending me in thier projects and they really enjoy having the choice for an assessment and the assessments being submitted are so creative! My 10th graders are doing Level III and my 7th graders are submitting Level I. They are almost finished with the Level II lessons and thye are picking up so much. Thank you again!
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Meagan
School Professional from New York
This program was very helpful to me because I learned many strategies on how I can help others and myself if I am in this type of situation.
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Kendra
Student
I appreciate YOU!! Folks are still reaching out about how great your webinar was and the materials are being accessed in our Social Work Resource Library!!
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J.R.
Community Partner
Good Morning!
We have completed ELH at all the schools! It went beautifully and ELH had a great impact on the students. Many students reached out for help as a result of ELH!
Thank you for all your help!
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Jill
School Professional from Florida
It taught me to make sure too take depression seriously and look for signs of depression in my community and too be there for them.
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Ophelia
Student
Social Worker and Counselors love the videos and the simple and clear way the information is provided. In meeting with some middle schoolers after the presentation I heard It was really good to know about depression and now I feel like I can help others
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Xavier
Administrator from Kansas
This workshop shares great tips on what we can do to help children who are experiencing depression or thoughts of suicide. The power of listening to what our children have to say when it comes to their mental health, can be the difference between a moment of sadness or a lifelong battle with depression
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Omayra
School Professional from Illinois
Erika's lighthouse gave me real insight through the stories of the people in the video.
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Gareth
Student
Each day at PJ23 School, we read the daily reminder about the Positivity Pledge calendar for that given day. At PJ23, we highlight Mindfulness Monday, Wellness Wednesday and Faithfulness Friday, and the Positivity Pledge calendar paired brilliantly with that. Additionally, we have a commitment to healthy bodies, minds and souls and we strive to put an emphasis on mental health awareness. Thank you, Erika's Lighthouse, for your great resources and for your partnership
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Molly
Administrator from Illinois
I feel more confident to help someone or guide someone who has depression
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Sabrina
Student
We are incredibly appreciative for our partnership with Erika's Lighthouse and all of the work that you do! Thanks for being awesome!
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Callum
School Professional from Virginia
I want you all to know that our suicide attempt rate as measured by the YRBS, went down from 14.3% to between 5.4-7.2% since using your videos and the messages from your curriculum. We continue to be very impressed by your videos, website, and curriculum.
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Michael
School Professional from Wisconsin
I am the school social worker at Lake Forest Country Day and have relied on Erika's Lighthouse programming materials and resources to educate our middle school students about depression awareness since 2012. The program is comprehensive in that it provides a thorough and scientific understanding of depression, explores and clears away the negative stigma associated with mental illness, provides guidance on how to seek help for oneself and a friend, and addresses the importance of adopting and maintaining healthy coping mechanisms to combat everyday stressors. Students share with me that they are grateful for the education, practical tools, and permission to discuss mental health issues in a way that is authentic, hopeful, and empowering. Additionally, I appreciate the flexibility that the program offers concerning the ability to roll it out entirely or split into segments to accommodate school scheduling needs. Finally, our families are grateful for the education provided to their children around these important issues and the parent resources that I share with them from Erika's Lighthouse website. Depression in adolescents has increased and schools are uniquely situated to provide protective factors to students by providing the essential education that Erika's Lighthouse offers.
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Nancy
School Professional from Illinois
we should be inspirational and say if you think someone is having problems, go talk to them. stress is a normal feeling and you are not alone.
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Celeste
Student from California
This program is a very helpful way to for people to understand depression and how to help and support people who have it.
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Rowan
Student
I am more open minded and more comfortable with talking and opening up about this topic.
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Balthazar
Student
I am so happy and satisfied with the Erika's Lighthouse Program. I am a new school social worker, so the fact that they provide so many resources for FREE is truly a life saver, and makes it so much more accessible. They provide step by step instructions and training on how to successfully implement the program. You can tell from the program and the organization's mission that they genuinely support mental health and suicide awareness/prevention, which is truly admirable. I think it is so important for students to hear from other students about their experiences, especially from different backgrounds and perspectives, and this program does that!
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Sarah
School Professional from Illinois
I am able to empathize more and understand the role I can play to get others help.
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Ezra
Student
be confident to talk to someone if your feeling down.
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Tristan
Student from California
I am using this program this year! I am so excited to implet it! Thank you! Your presentation was my favorite at the conference!
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Rhys
School Professional from New York
On a side note, I just would like to share we have been implementing lessons and have been able to support and reach students that would typically fly under the radar. We are grateful for the partnership with your program!
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Mike
School Professional from Illinois
I recently had a seemingly well-adjusted student with strong grades, plenty of friends, involved and supportive family, who indicated on their self-referral exit ticket in my class that he needed to speak with a mental health care worker in the next 24 hours. The counselor had never met with him before; barely knew who he was because he never appeared to struggle. Turns out he not only had struggled with suicidal thoughts for some time, he had a complete plan for following through. I am so grateful I met Erika's Lighthouse at our Indiana SHAPE (INSHAPE) conference in 2019 . Your lessons, materials, videos, and teaching guides gave me confidence to approach mental health in a way that reduces stigma… something I always wanted to do but didn’t know how. Students getting these Erika’s Lighthouse lessons hear so clearly that everyone deserves good mental health, and there is hope and help for those who are struggling, whether those struggles make sense or not. Absolute life saver for these kids!
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Cassie
Health Educator from Indiana
This program doesn’t need any improvement its a great resource and safe space for those who need it.
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Beatrice
Student
I have been meaning to contact you about how much I enjoyed this year's curriculum and think it is the best one thus far! I used the ELH Level 3 with my freshman health classes in December. I love it! I love the posters and having the students present about the six teens they learned about, which I hung in the classroom (please see the attachment). I needed something colorful and bright to cover up the partition between the two classrooms. My supervisor was observing me on this day, and he indicated that it was one of the best lessons he had seen.
Now that everything is available to use in Google and customizable, it makes the teacher's life a bit easier; thank you for that. I also love the Performance Assessment and that you included a rubric and gave the student choices. I was amazed by some of the products my students put forth. Some students asked if they could do a news article for option two and a few students inquired about writing a letter to a friend instead of a voice message. I love the creativity that this allowed for them to do. I posted our assignment on Schoology, our district's Learning Management System.
I had 3 ELL students, so some of the Spanish materials you provided were very helpful to use. Thanks to Erika's Lighthouse for producing such an excellent and necessary curriculum!
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Jill
School Professional from New Jersey
I really appreciate the work you all do to make these resources available for free and easily adaptable to fit the needs of various students. I also appreciate that the resources are made using the stories of actual students who have gone through mental illness ...it definitely makes the videos and tools so much more real and relevant to the students!
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Vance
School Social Worker from Illinois
I think this program is very good because it provides examples from teens that I can relate to.
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Genevieve
Student
this program helps a lot of people pay attention to the symptoms if one of your friends have depression
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Amara
Student
Most teachers in grades 7-8 and Health 1 said they planned to field test Erika's Lighthouse in lieu of the currently approved suicide prevention curriculum they normally use in those grades. They said they thought the Erika's Lighthouse curricula was more accessible for teachers and more relatable to students than the programs they've used in the past. Thank you for having a skills-based program available at no cost.
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Lucian
School Professional from Oregon
The spirit and energy of the club members was great, and their positivity and drive to promote mental health and wellness was incredible.
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Julian
School Professional from Illinois
I have been using your lessons for roughly 6 years and love the flow. Thank you so much for easy to understand lessons that have so much power and impact on our students.
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Siena
School Professional from Ohio
Love the updates to the resource portal. We are going to be down a social worker this year in my building so I am going solo this year. Due to my services in the building being reduced, I have already completed my Depression Awareness presentation with my junior high students and was grateful to be able to use the website in the presentation. I also utilize some of the resources you have on the portal in some of my small groups too for some of my kids that are struggling with anxiety, depression and mood regulation. Lots of great resources so thank you!
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Freya
School Social Worker from Illinois
From Erika’s Light House I learned that I like to do mindfulness because It makes me feel good and good. and also Happy. I Love It so much.
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Felix
Student from California
Thank you, Peggy! The presentation was educational for all staff members. We hope to implement both programs this academic year!
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Priya
School Professional from Illinois
This was an awesome experience. Candice is a natural. Erika's Lighthouse was very well represented. The message was delivered with care. I know that everyone in that session knew the value of incorporating a mental health curriculum in their school. Erika's lighthouse is definitely the best program that would give them the support and tools they need to function.
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Victor
Health Educator from Illinois
When the current pandemic first took storm, I found myself struggling with my mental health mostly because staying in quarantine was such an adverse and tumultuous time. Once school started, I wanted to help my classmates, who were also dealing with mental health struggles, which inspired me to establish an Erika's Lighthouse club at my school. Through this club, my classmates and I have found a safe space to express ourselves and help break down the stigma surrounding mental health.
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Gowri
Student from Texas
Our school has partnered with Erika’s Lighthouse for several years, and I am always impressed with the quality of materials that they produce. The staff at Erika’s Lighthouse strives to provide the most current resources so our teachers can effectively deliver information while using proven best practices. Talking about depression can make both teachers and students uncomfortable, but the Erika’s Lighthouse program is designed to decrease the negative attitudes of depression. The program provides an opportunity for conversations about how students can contribute to a positive mental health culture in their school and community.
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Jason Dane
School Professional from Illinois
I love that this program is free. Wow - amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and resources.
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Tobias
School Professional from International
I believe this club brings awareness to such an important topic. While we as adults can try to send the message that mental health is important, students hearing this message delivered from their peers in fun ways is even more impactful. The students in our club truly feel they at they are making a difference!
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Gwen
School Professional from Illinois
Previously, I had used the video and lesson for Level 2 for everybody. I changed it up so that I would have a plan for every year and not have to reinvent the wheel. The lessons worked well for the assigned grade levels. My geeky self enjoyed seeing how the students from the Level 2 video had grown and seemed to be doing well in the Level 3 video. After you watch the videos so many times in a day, you get a little emotionally invested! Thank you to Erika's Lighthouse for providing these resources for a tough topic.
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Pat
School Counselor from West Virginia
I have enjoyed using Erika's Lighthouse lessons with my students. These lessons are ready to go and incredibly simple to use. The lessons include the student perspective, which is so valuable. My students have shared that the lessons are a great opportunity for them to talk about mental health with peers. So many students would not experience this without Erika's Lighthouse.
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Jillian
School Professional from New Mexico
My organization has been using the middle school curriculum in the Indian River Florida school System for several years now. This was my first time presenting, and I just LOVE IT! I took advantage of the heart-to-heart Valentine’s idea, and it was a hit. Next week, I will presenting my final segment 3 to our 6th grade population for the academic school year.
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Xzondra
Community Partner from Florida
I would love to get information out to our Middle and High School members about your program since not everyone was able to attend the Health conference and so many of our students have struggled at different points over the last two years and during adolescence. I would love for Massachusetts to be flooded with Erika's Lighthouse resources!
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Fiona
School Professional from Massachusetts
Thanks for all the work we have done. The resources from Erika’s Lighthouse are highly appreciated here among our middle and high school counselors. I value our experiences together and look forward to our paths crossing again in the future.
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Edward
School Professional from Wisconsin
Thank you so much for offering this program. I am retiring at the end of this school year and regret that I wasn't able to find time to make more use of it. My plans were to sponsor a mental health club this year and use your resources for it. I will encourage my replacement to check out what Erika's Lighthouse has to offer if she's not already aware. Keep up the important work that you are doing and the messages that you are promoting to our youth!
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Stacey
School Professional from Missouri
Thank you for providing wonderful resources and lesson plans for educators. After utilizing the middle school curriculum, I have had a lot of great feedback from students. One student stayed after class to thank me for sharing about depression since she has a friend currently struggling with it. Another student opened up to his class about his experience managing his depression over the last couple of years. His peers were very supportive and appreciated his willingness to open up a discussion.The small group questions you provided have been a great tool to allow students to openly share with each other in a safe space. Your program is changing lives, and I am thankful to be a part of it.
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Kalee
School Professional from Oklahoma
Lessons continue to be great and developmentally appropriate for the kiddos. Thank you
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Soren
School Counselor from Connecticut
Parents were really moved by the important information shared in the workshop. It is vital that our community is aware of the warning signs to look for with their children
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Jonathan
School Professional from Illinois
now I know I am not alone with stress
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Dante
Student from California
We are using the one day depression education lesson in high school ROTC and 11th grade health classes. We added two of the program addition activities to break up the lesson and include an interactive, skill building component - 'Having Supportive Conversations with Peers' and 'Text from a Friend'.
We are receiving positive feedback from students and the team who facilitated re: the materials
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Maeve
School Professional
I just like the whole concept of the organization about spreading awareness of depression in youth because it's so common this day and age and I just wanted to help in any way I can to be a support system. I want to make sure people know I'm someone they can go to about that
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Meghan
Student from Illinois
It has been wonderful seeing how the Level III EL programming used in my Health classes has inspired young people to act.
I grew up in Northfield so this organization and message are something I have always deeply valued. I was lucky enough to be involved with this programming as a student in middle school and high school as well.
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Michelle
Health Educator from Illinois
I think that Sasha and Andre did the right thing to talk to there parents. Whenever I am stressed i like to go outside. Or I also play on the phone. -C.M.
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Ariadne
Student from California
Erika’s Lighthouse provides the opportunity for students to understand that depression is part of life. It teaches the symptomatology in non-judgmental way that is very palatable. The video demonstrates how accessing help is an important life skill, and sometimes you have to access multiple avenues. It models for students that there are circles of support, from their friends, family, school, and community. The help seeking component is my favorite because it is a true skill that we all need to develop over a lifespan. Additionally, it helps develop a help-seeking culture on campuses and assists in identifying community resources. The bookmark is a great resource that has great tangible information to support mental wellness. The program comes from a multiple perspective place that supports a school, and student.
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Sally
School Social Worker from California
My favorite part of the presentation was the worksheets because I liked writing about myself. My favorite part of the presentation was learning some ways to calm down my stress. In my opinion my favorite thing was the worksheets because we can put what we feel.
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Evangeline
Student from California
I think my ability to help someone has definitely improved and I now know to seek help if I think they need it.
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Delilah
Student
Thank you for providing these valuable resources at no cost.
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Aredia
School Professional from Illinois
...a high school stuednt was taking the ELH health unit this week and reached out to a trusted adult at school. How amazing it is to know the ELH initiative helped that student!
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Kaelen
School Professional from Virginia
This program kept me interested and informed and I really appreciate that I can now help myself or someone I know who may be struggling with depression.
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Ronan
Student
I highly enjoyed presenting for ELH for elementary school students, this was very easy to implement, the video is short, clear, and relatable. The team did an amazing job creating this presentation and took into consideration the limited preparation time PSW's have to prepare for the classroom presentation. Students enjoyed it and I got great feedback from the teachers and administrators.
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Sally Stevens, LCSW PPSC M. Ed.
School Professional from California
Statistics compiled by the school district revealed [an increase] in the number of students who self-reported having mental-health difficulties – from 1,168 in 2021-22 to 3,146 in 2022-23.
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Elena
Community Partner from Florida
Thank you so much for reaching out to me. Thankfully our school uses your resources currently, which I am deeply grateful for. I cannot thank Erika's Lighthouse enough for all that you all do. We need these resources in school more than ever, and these resources will save lives. I share your resources widely and even have used your resources with my own children. My son lost a friend to suicide 3 years ago, and knowing that there is a resource he can learn about mental health has been an positive for him too. Thank you.
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Elizabeth
School Professional from Illinois
My ability to help someone with depression has completely changed after the Erikas Lighthouse Program because I can see signs of depression, and I know who to call if I or someone else needs help.
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Magnus
Student
These are kids who, without that curriculum, likely would’ve said nothing, would’ve continued to struggle, and would’ve received no help. Now I feel like they’ve taken that first big step… acknowledging what they’re feeling and recognizing that they need assistance. And because of Erika’s Lighthouse, they will get it
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Lia
School Professional from Indiana
The videos are well done. The kids find them authentic and, because of the diversity, can see a face they recognize. The materials are affordable, well thought out and easy to use. They're flexible and have no rigidity about how they're to be used. Erika’s Lighthouse supplies resources offering an easy way to talk to kids about how to stay mentally healthy. No one is putting out these kinds of materials right now, and trying to create them on my own would be impossible.
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Harry
School Professional from Washington
My ability to help someone with depression changed due to Erika’s Lighthouse program because I know a lot more about depression and symptoms.
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Declan
Student
I feel more comfortable talking to people about it and I know more about what I should do if I see someone with warning signs.
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Sylvia
Student
This Program is great overall, teaching kids that they don't have to be scared do talk to people and that their feelings are Valid and matter.
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Orion
Student
I like this program, I feel it shows a lot of peoples real life experiences.
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Zaria
Student
Just wanted to let you know that two of my schools are doing the Positivity Pledge. They are having a blast with it and have created competitions within the classrooms. Thank you so much for all the help. What a wonderful way to get the information across and to end the year on a positive note.
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Ruth
School Professional from Ohio
The school counselor and I did Level 3 (one day) in 2 days per grade during their 37 min PE/Health classes. We had about 45-50 students in the gym per session. We did break out small groups (5 groups with us, PE and health each leading a group) during day 2. We gave out 988 bracelets and hung up large Erik's lighthouse posters and I put a 988 banner and the QR code for student services on them as well. We also used the referral cards and had about 35 (10%) request to be seen after. This year we did not do anything for staff other than give them a 988 bracelet. Hoping we can for next year. Let me know if you have more questions. Erika's Lighthouse is a great program!!! And such a blessing to our students!
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Gideon
School Social Worker from Illinois
I love Erika’s Lighthouse! I use it every year for Depression awareness with my 7th graders and then use some of the additional resources to share with Middle school students for mental health awareness. Thank you!
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Lyra
School Counselor from Texas
Just wanted to let you know that the resources are amazing. I've shared them with my Health & PE staff and all I keep hearing is positive things. Thank you so much for sharing and providing support around mental wellness and suicide prevention. I really appreciate it.
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Astrid
Administrator from Wisconsin
My ability has changed for the better because now I have a better background on the topic. With my more in depth knowledge of the topic I can confidently help others with depression.
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Killian
Student
I was sooo thankful for your lessons. There is very little time to plan to put together my own lessons. This website and your information was, truly, a Godsend. The material was very relevant; the handouts were appreciated.
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Cassandra
School Professional from Ohio
Erika’s Lighthouse has been such an outstanding program for our middle school students. This May, we are working on a school wide Positivity Pledge for 30 days in honor of Mental Health Awareness.
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Lori
School Professional from Kansas
We used to use the SOS curriculum but 3 years ago we switched to Erika's Lighthouse. We love how it's a general overview of mental health. The kids relate to it so much better.
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Dana
School Social Worker from Wisconsin
I think that it is good as it is because there is a little bit of everything (videos, lectures, vocabulary matching). It is formed well to teach students about mental health.
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Elowen
Student
I am very thankful for you and the team who created this program and made it available for us. I am glad I got to know it in one of ISCA's workshops.
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Leander
School Counselor from International
We have been using these materials and so appreciate them. Everything from the parent letter down to the self-referral. Thank you so much for this
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Jasper
Administrator from California
I used the 4-day lesson plan with approximately 75 fifth graders. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this information with them and their teachers and I feel very good about the impact it has had on them. I want to continue conversations with them as they relate to their learning through your program. I have done a different program in the past and was excited to be introduced to your program when our elementary school counselors met before the start of school for students. I really like Erika's Lighthouse the best! Thank you for making this available. (Elem teacher in JCPS)
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Naomi
School Professional from Kentucky
i have no suggestions since i now know i'm not alone with stress.
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Dominic
Student from California
The Erika's Lighthouse Program Works! So many of our students really listened and heard the message of your curriculum!!! They heard it, they thought about what they’re feeling, and they asked for help! THEY ASKED FOR HELP! That’s truly the whole point, right? Awareness, understanding, and not being afraid to confront what you’re feeling and ask for help rather than suffer in silence.
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Lia
School Professional from Indiana
I know what to look for and how to help.
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Nicolette
Student
You are doing an incredible job with making resources accessible to teachers like myself. We have a common goal of helping to educate, removing stigma, and normalize the idea that mental health is something we all have!
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Heather
School Professional from New York
I appreciate all your fantastic resources and I have really enjoyed the new resource portal. Thanks for all your hard work on such an important part of our kids lives.
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Mireille
School Counselor from Indiana
I’m proud to support Erika’s Lighthouse because I believe all students should have access to quality mental health education. Mental health and depression is often a difficult topic to discuss at any age, especially for adolescent students. So when I learned how scalable, sustainable, and impactful ELH’s programs are, I knew I wanted to be involved at a deeper level and joined the Corporate Advisory Committee. The sheer number of students whose lives are positively impacted by ELH’s educational programs and Empowerment Clubs is inspiring, due in large part to the ever-evolving and approachable curriculum. I’m excited to see how ELH can expand its reach and provide even more education as we enter this next chapter of growth.
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Lukas Kubon
Donor from Illinois
I absolutely love this program! I wish I had known about it in years past because I definitely would have been using it. I utilized the one day lesson this year to complete our required Suicide Prevention training with students in 8-12 grades. I also plan to use other resources on the website to conduct stress management classes and mindfulness activities.
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Dorian
School Professional
Let me start out by saying that the Erika’s Lighthouse curriculum and resources are amazing, and the bounty of options and web design has become even more robust and wonderful in the past year. Kudos, and THANK YOU for putting it out there for free!
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Clementine
School Professional from Illinois
Working in a special day school program, where all students have IEPs centered around behavior and emotional disabilities, having the Erika's Lighthouse curriculum was vital to start our school year and orient ourselves in understanding the connection we all have to depression and suicide. Many of our students at our school are diagnosed, but they do not necessarily recognize that there are many others going through the same thing. We were able to help our students see the connections between each other and how they may help themselves, while also supporting others in our school. Additionally, we loved that it was FREE!
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Nicole
School Social Worker from Kansas
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