DEVELOPING MINDS
building mental health capacity
in Jewish
massachusetts
DEVELOPING MINDS: massachusetts
An initiative to strengthen the mental health capacity of youth-serving Jewish organizations in Massachusetts.
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR COHORT 2
To learn more about future cohorts, contact Emily Heeren at emilyh@bamidbartherapy.org.
WHAT IS DEVELOPING MINDS?
One in three young adults and one in two adolescents is struggling with a mental health disorder.
Luckily, the Jewish community and Jewish professionals are uniquely situated to create positive environments where not only Jewish engagement, but also mental health inclusion, can develop.
Developing Minds is a unique and transformative program that will bring together professionals from youth-serving organizations across Massachusetts and New Hampshire to form a cohort working towards a shared objective: building organizational mental health capacity. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with peers, learn from one another, and tap into the collective wisdom of organizations facing similar challenges.
Current and past participating organizations include:
IS DEVELOPING MINDS RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?
Developing Minds is designed for youth-serving organizations committed to expanding mental health capacity and helping all youth thrive and fully engage in Jewish life. The 5-month program will enable organizations to:
- Recognize the widespread impact and prevalence of mental illness and understand how organizations can leverage Jewish wisdom and Jewish community to help young people build resilience and thrive;
- Identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness in those involved within the system;
- Integrate knowledge about mental health and wellness into organizational policies, procedures, and practices to support increased inclusion; and
- Actively cultivate mental health and wellness within the communities they serve.
WHAT IS THE DEVELOPING MINDS CURRICULUM?
This program will begin with an immersive gathering focused on building trust and relationships within the cohort, building foundational knowledge, and diving into frameworks for building mental health capacity.
The assessment will be used to help institutions understand their organization through the lens of trauma sensitivity and mental health and wellness protective factors.
The goal of the assessment is to provide organizations a snapshot of where they are today, and to provide a roadmap of potential areas for improvement the organization can take to increase mental health capacity.
Organizational leaders will have three one-to-one sessions (one per month) with a BaMidbar clinician to discuss their assessment results and identify high-priority areas for improvement. They will then have another opportunity for a fourth and final coaching session within 1-3 months after completing Developing Minds.
Throughout our four months together, you will have access to numerous free high-quality trainings both in-person and virtually. These professional development opportunities will focus on developing mental health literacy, skills in responding to youth in distress, and frameworks for proactively building wellness and resiliency through your community programming.
Organizations will be eligible for microgrants to bring in Tova Speter, LMHC, to their organization to run a therapeutic art program for their staff or the youth they serve.
The cohort will conclude with a closing summit where participants will share their learning and successes and learn about resources within the community to continue to support youth mental health and wellness.
WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES?
Click the month to reveal specific dates and information.
2/15/24 @ 9:00 am-3:00 pm
In-Person Opening Summit at Temple Beth Avodah
3/12/24 & 3/14/24 @ 6:30 pm-9:30 pm
Mental Health First Aid over Zoom
3/15/24
Microgrant Applications Open for Hosting an Art Therapy Session with Tova Speter (Optional)
3/27/24 @ 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
“Creating Space for Self Care” Art Therapy Session with Tova Speter
3/31/24
Organizational Self-Assessments Due
Between March & June
Monthly 60-minute Coaching Session with Sam Langstein.
4/5/24
Microgrant Applications Close for Hosting an Art Therapy Session with Tova Speter (Optional)
4/10/24 @ 9:00 am-3:00 pm
MESH-EE Training at Temple Beth Avodah
5/2/24 & 5/8/24 @ 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Mental Health First Aid in Person at Temple Beth Avodah
5/15/24 @ 10:30 am-12:00 pm
Virtual Wellbeing Session over Zoom
6/4/24 @ 9:00 am-12:00 pm
In-Person Closing Summit at Temple Beth Avodah
Between June & September
One “Post-Developing Minds” Coaching Session (Optional)
FAQS
Click questions to see answers.
Developing Minds is designed for youth-serving organizations committed to expanding mental health capacity and helping all youth thrive and fully engage in Jewish life.
THE 3-MONTH PROGRAM WILL ENABLE ORGANIZATIONS TO:
- Recognize the impact and prevalence of mental illness and understand how organizations can use Jewish wisdom and community to help young people build resilience and thrive
- Identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness in populations you serve
- Integrate knowledge about mental health and wellness into organizational policies, procedures, and practices to promote inclusion and reduce stigma
- Actively cultivate mental health and wellness within the communities you serve
AS PART OF THE COHORT, ORGANIZATIONS WILL:
- Conduct an internal assessment of mental health capacity
- Create a sustainable plan for action based on the individualized assessment
- Receive coaching to support implementation of that plan
At least two professionals should participate in the program. One professional should be a C-suite employee with decision-making power who understands the overall workings of their organization, such as the CEO or Executive Director. The other professional should be an employee whose work centers around direct service and program implementation, such as a Program Director.
March 18th from 9:00-3:00 pm: In-Person Opening Summit at Rose Community Foundation
Virtual 1:1 Assessment Review: To be scheduled by organizations between March 22-April 12
Wednesday, April 17th from 9:30-10:45 am: Virtual Workshop 1
Wednesday, May 8th from 9:30-10:45 am: Virtual Workshop 2
- Wednesday, May 22nd from 9:00-12:00 pm: Closing Summit, Location TBD
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Rose Community Foundation, this program is FREE to participating organizations.
All participating organizations will be eligible for grants up to $1,500 to work on a mental health initiative or program at your organization. Additional details about these grants will be shared at the opening summit.
MORE ABOUT BAMIDBAR
OUR MISSION is to ensure that Jewish youth and young adults have the confidence, skills, and community support to navigate life’s challenges and thrive in the face of adversity.
BAMIDBAR STRENGTHENS young people’s mental health through clinical and educational interventions.
BAMIDBAR FOCUSES both on the individual young person and the ecosystem that surrounds them, including family and caregivers, school, peers, and Jewish professionals in settings such as camps, youth groups, Hillels, day schools, and synagogues. BaMidbar integrates a multidisciplinary lens that includes experiential learning, clinically-informed frameworks, and Jewish tradition.
Developing Minds is designed for youth-serving organizations committed to expanding mental health capacity and helping all youth thrive and fully engage in Jewish life.
The 5-month program will enable organizations to:
- Recognize the impact and prevalence of mental illness and understand how organizations can use Jewish wisdom and community to help young people build resilience and thrive
- Identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness in populations you serve
- Integrate knowledge about mental health and wellness into organizational policies, procedures, and practices to promote inclusion and reduce stigma
- Actively cultivate mental health and wellness within the communities you serve
As part of the cohort, organizations will:
- Engage staff in two separate tracks of learning geared toward organizational leaders and youth-serving professionals
- Conduct an internal assessment of mental health capacity
- Create a sustainable plan for action based on the individualized assessment
- Receive coaching to support implementation of that plan
At least 2 leadership-level staff should participate in the leadership track. They should be C-Suite employees with decision-making power who understand the inner workings of their organization.
These trainings are open to any youth-serving professionals at your organization. The same staff do not need to attend all offered trainings.
In addition to the 1-day opening and closing summits, the following trainings are offered to both the leadership team participating in the cohort and the youth-serving professionals on staff: Mental Health First Aid (8 hours), Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Through Experiential Education (6 hours), and Well-Being for Professionals (two 1.5-hour sessions)
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, this program is FREE to participating organizations.
Meeting Youth Mental Health Needs
Gateways and BaMidbar are delighted to present DEVELOPING MINDS, an initiative that aims to strengthen the mental health capacity of youth-serving organizations in our community. This exciting new opportunity is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP).
Developing Minds is a unique and transformative five-month program that will bring together professionals from various organizations to form a cohort. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with their peers, learn from each other’s experiences, and tap into the collective wisdom of organizations facing similar challenges.
Developing Minds supports both organizational leaders and youth-serving professionals. Participating organizations will be placed into one of two cohorts, each of which will feature two unique learning tracks. Organizational leaders look at mental health capacity through a systems lens, while youth-serving professionals receive training to better support youth.
Two Tracks of Learning
| YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS | ORGANIZATION LEADERS |
|---|---|
| Open to ALL professionals at youth-serving organizations | For 2-4 professionals per organization |
| Mental Health First Aid | Opening summit |
| Mental, emotional, and social health for experiential educators | Organizational assessment |
| Supporting staff well-being | 4 coaching sessions |
| Closing summit | Closing summit |
Cohort 1 (Fall 2023)
- Opening Summit: Thursday, October 26 from 9-3
- Closing Summit: Tuesday, February 13 from 9-12
Cohort 2 (Winter 2024)
- Opening Summit: Thursday, February 15 from 9-3
- Closing Summit: Tuesday, June 4 from 9-12
Key Dates
FAQs
Developing Minds is designed for youth-serving organizations committed to expanding mental health capacity and helping all youth thrive and fully engage in Jewish life.
The 5-month program will enable organizations to:
- Recognize the impact and prevalence of mental illness and understand how organizations can use Jewish wisdom and community to help young people build resilience and thrive
- Identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness in populations you serve
- Integrate knowledge about mental health and wellness into organizational policies, procedures, and practices to promote inclusion and reduce stigma
- Actively cultivate mental health and wellness within the communities you serve
As part of the cohort, organizations will:
- Engage staff in two separate tracks of learning geared toward organizational leaders and youth-serving professionals
- Conduct an internal assessment of mental health capacity
- Create a sustainable plan for action based on the individualized assessment
- Receive coaching to support implementation of that plan
At least 2 leadership-level staff should participate in the leadership track. They should be C-Suite employees with decision-making power who understand the inner workings of their organization.
These trainings are open to any youth-serving professionals at your organization. The same staff do not need to attend all offered trainings.
In addition to the 1-day opening and closing summits, the following trainings are offered to both the leadership team participating in the cohort and the youth-serving professionals on staff: Mental Health First Aid (8 hours), Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Through Experiential Education (6 hours), and Well-Being for Professionals (two 1.5-hour sessions)
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, this program is FREE to participating organizations.
MORE ABOUT BAMIDBAR
OUR MISSION is to ensure that Jewish youth and young adults have the confidence, skills, and community support to navigate life’s challenges and thrive in the face of adversity.
BAMIDBAR STRENGTHENS young people’s mental health through clinical and educational interventions.
BAMIDBAR FOCUSES both on the individual young person and the ecosystem that surrounds them, including family and caregivers, school, peers, and Jewish professionals in settings such as camps, youth groups, Hillels, day schools, and synagogues. BaMidbar integrates a multidisciplinary lens that includes experiential learning, clinically-informed frameworks, and Jewish tradition.