Mental Health is personal for me. Figuring out how to manage my own mental health hasn't always been easy, but it’s something I am constantly working on. I hope I can help others work on it, too. I wish more people talked about mental health when I was younger, so I could have learned and understood what was going on with my own health earlier on.

Tens of millions of Americans and their families struggle with mental health issues ranging from anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder and suicide. Experts believe the COVID-19 pandemic has made things even worse.

That’s why it’s absolutely essential to offer mental health services in schools, and for the philanthropy community to prioritize this issue. Your signature will show them just how urgent this issue is.

I hope by sharing my own story and using my brand and platform to talk about mental health, I can encourage others to get the help they need, and make sure they have access to more mental health services.

THE FACTS

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the Gen Z community.
• One-half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; three-quarters by the age of 24.
• Only 16% of all children receive mental health assistance in school environments where they spend the majority of their waking hours.
• In recent years, only 1.3% of overall philanthropic investments went to support mental health.

National and local government alone won’t solve this and we can’t afford to wait. Join us in advocating for more mental health resources in schools and educational settings by signing this petition and showing the philanthropy community how much this matters to you.

We need the philanthropy community to help us raise funds to increase access to mental health services like social and emotional learning, mental health trainings for educators and school professionals, and suicide prevention and crisis response services.