about Active Minds chapters
Each year, more than 15,000 students join or launch a chapter at their school to change the culture around mental health in their communities and inspire action among their peers
An unparalleled campus network
Active Minds supports a vast and vibrant network of more than 600 campus-based chapters across the United States.
Each chapter is a registered student organization on campus. Chapters can be found at flagship public universities, Ivy League colleges, community colleges, minority-serving institutions, high schools, and even online universities.
Active Minds impacts more than 8 million students each year through our campus presence.
A peer-to-peer approach
More than 15,000 students join or launch a chapter at their school to change the culture around mental health in their communities and inspire action among their peers.
Chapter members are at the heart of Active Minds’ innovative, student-to-student model, which addresses head-on the fact that 67% of young adults are more likely to seek help from a friend than anyone else.
What do chapters do?
Active Minds chapters are a powerful force in the mental health movement.
Each chapter is a student-led group with anywhere from three powerful student members to as many as 300! Chapter members are dedicated volunteers who carry out the Active Minds mission on their local campuses. No matter the size of their group, these students’ efforts create a comfortable environment for conversations about mental health.
Here are a few examples of what chapters do:
- Organize campus events to increase awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention. These include panel discussions, movie screenings, speaker presentations, stress-relief activities, or whatever is most effective and most needed on their campus.
- Promote the services available from the counseling center and other organizations and distribute mental health resources by “tabling” in central areas of campus.
- Hold fundraising events in support of the Active Minds movement.
- Advocate for changes in campus policies and procedures to better support mental health.
- Represent the student voice on campus health committees.
Chapters create programs that are responsive to the unique needs of their campus population. Their creativity and student focus leads to significant change.
Everyone has mental health and so everyone has a part to play in Active Minds. Chapters create compassionate communities of support and hope that extends beyond their group and influences all aspects of campus life.
Who joins Active Minds chapters?
Many members of Active Minds chapters are students with an interest in mental health, such as psychology, nursing, pre-med, and social work students. Some students are living with a mental health issue, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or an eating disorder. Others are friends or family of people who live with an issue or are survivors of a friend or family member’s suicide.
Active Minds Chapters are open to any enrolled student.
Is Active Minds peer support?
No, Active Minds chapters do not serve as peer support groups. Student members promote existing professional services and help students know when those professional resources may be needed. Many chapters have regular meetings where they discuss current events, help each other prioritize self-care, and work to plan engaging educational events and programs for their peers.
Chapters do often become support networks for members, creating a place where student advocates know that others may share similar experiences, but each chapter is closely tied to its campus health and counseling services to be sure people get the appropriate support when needed.
What is the relationship between an Active Minds chapter and its school?
Like most college student groups, Active Minds chapters are officially registered with the Student Activities Council (or similarly named entity) on their campus. Each Active Minds chapter has an advisor who is affiliated with the college or university.
Active Minds chapters are highly collaborative. More than 97% of chapters report strong campus partnerships, particularly with counseling services and student government.
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for chapter members
Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting mental health awareness and education for young adults.