Planning Your Club

Get ready to raise awareness and reduce stigma about mental health and substance use on your campus! Behavioral health clubs create spaces for students to talk about tough issues and connect with community resources.

Basic Needs

Faculty advisor

A trusted adult who will support club leaders to run meetings and provide guidance as needed. This person must be willing to discuss sensitive topics with teens, and be passionate about eliminating stigma and improving access to behavioral health supports.

cORE mEMBERSHIP

Getting off to a good start means building your community. Ensure you have at least six students who are willing and able to participate in the club, including the three basic leadership positions (Chair/President, Secretary, and Treasurer).

a sOLID
pLAN

You will need to write a proposal to get your club started. This should outline the club's purpose (both what it will do and what it will not), its leadership structure, and your thoughts on what you will do at meetings. Your school may have specific guidelines.

Financial Support

Many schools provide funds for Associated Student Body (ASB) correlated clubs. There may be local grants available to student clubs, and several national organizations offer funding for local clubs that are affiliated with their organization.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is motivating me to start this club?

2. Who do I know that is also interested in youth behavioral health?

3. What are the requirements for starting a club at my school?

4. Is it better to start a club from scratch or to try and become affiliated with a national organization?

Faculty Advisor

Behavioral health is often a sensitive subject. Meeting topics can be very personal to those who join the club. Faculty advisors should have some training in the mental health and/or substance use disorders and also be trained on how to identify and respond to thoughts of suicide among club members. It would be great if the faculty advisor could be a school counselor, social worker or school psychologist.