MCIU Project AWARE free online resource hub for schools, students, and families

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) Project AWARE team is proud to announce the launch of Mental Health Literacy in Pennsylvania (MHLPA), a free, trusted online hub designed to connect educators, families, and students (12 and older) with practical mental health resources.

Available at mhlpa.com, MHLPA provides ready-to-use guides, conversation starters, classroom-friendly materials, and help-seeking information to support early detection and compassionate response. All materials are easy to navigate, shareable, and created with the needs of schools and families in mind.

Addressing Urgent Mental Health Challenges

MHLPA builds on the collaborative foundation of Project AWARE to promote positive mental wellness and address mental health challenges facing schools and communities across Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne, and Montgomery counties. According to the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS):

• 71% of students reported good mental health in the past month
• 68% of students identified family attachment
• 44% of students identified opportunities for prosocial involvement at school
• 37% experienced sadness or depression most days in the past 12 months
• 15% engaged in self-harm behaviors
• 16% seriously considered suicide, and 13% made suicide plans
• 27% stopped participating in usual activities due to mental health concerns
  
  

MHLPA uses a four-pronged approach to support students, parents, and educators: promoting positive mental health, understanding mental disorders and treatments, reducing stigma, and enhancing help-seeking efficacy.

How Schools and Communities Can Use MHLPA Today

Schools and communities can integrate MHLPA by adding it to district and school websites, sharing it in family newsletters, student leadership groups, and staff updates, and highlighting it during school events, professional development sessions, and parent workshops.

For suggestions or resources to feature, contact Pia Houseal at [email protected], or visit the Project AWARE page for more information.

About Montgomery County Intermediate Unit

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) is a dynamic educational service agency that provides visionary leadership, impactful services, and strategic solutions that maximize access and opportunities for all learners. MCIU provides a vast array of effective and efficient services that meet the educational and social service needs of Montgomery County’s 200-plus schools, including the 22 public school districts, more than 150 nonpublic schools, four career-technical schools, three charter schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.