Beyond On Our Sleeves: Nationwide Children's launches foundation for kids' mental health
Nationwide Children’s Hospital is vastly expanding its children’s mental health initiatives under the Kids Mental Health Foundation.
The Columbus-based hospital launched the foundation Tuesday amid what experts say is a national health crisis in kids’ mental well-being that was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new foundation aims to build upon what was already done over the last six years through the On Our Sleeves program, namely providing free educational tools and resources on kids’ mental health that address anxiety, bullying, grief, trauma and numerous other struggles children may face.
“So many people say they know exactly what to do if their child breaks an arm or gets a cold or a fever, but watching a child endure a panic attack or struggle with the effects of fear and stress leaves them feeling helpless,” Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall, associate clinical director of the Kids Mental Health Foundation, said in a release.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called the challenges young people face today "unprecedented" in a 2021 report, and said that such challenges are devastating to their mental health.
“We hope to create a world where children’s mental health is as important as their physical health and where grown-ups have the skills to help kids face and manage life’s challenges,” Bignall said.
On Our Sleeves alone has reached approximately 15 million people across the country since its founding in 2018, according to Nationwide Children’s. The hospital wants to add millions more.
The new foundation encapsulates On Our Sleeves and several new programs, such as Bloom, which provides employers with materials for employees whose children are struggling with mental health concerns.
The foundation also aims to increase educational resources and curriculum for primary care providers, as well as teachers, coaches and other adults in children’s lives to give them the knowledge and confidence to help take care of them.
Familiar Ohio faces such as Gov. Mike DeWine and Ryan Day, Ohio State's head football coach, expressed their support through video messages at the foundation’s launch.
“The single most important thing that we can do for Ohio’s future is to ensure that all Ohio children, no matter where they live or who their parents are, have the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential,” DeWine said in his video message.
Many of the resources are readily available online and free at https://kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nationwide Children's launches foundation for kids mental health