It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

In my world, May is a really big month. It’s Mental Health Awareness Month.

Here’s a quick look at how people in more than 1,100 communities and across 115 federal programs in the United States are participating in events aimed specifically at highlighting the importance of child mental health:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is sponsoring its National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on Wed., May 9. The seventh annual observance is focused on driving home the message that, “with the help of caring adults and informed child-serving systems, young people can demonstrate resilience following traumatic experiences.”
• The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Child Mind Institute are leading Speak Up for Kids 2012, as part of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, May 6-12. Check out this page for an online directory of events happening near you. Why speak up, these organizations ask. “Because children’s mental health matters — and treatment works.”

I couldn’t agree more.