Josh was a typical teenage boy – a well-liked athlete who made friends easily. Yet in 2009, at age 17, he took his own life. His family, who had no idea of the extent of his hopelessness, founded the Josh Anderson Foundation -- now Our Minds Matter -- to help prevent teen suicide, the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 19. Since 2012, it has provided mental health education, resources, and support to over 200 schools and nearly 150,000 students in the DC metro area through in-school speaker presentations, awareness campaigns, and its signature program, Our Minds Matter clubs. Led by students, the clubs encourage social connectedness, reduce mental health stigma, and build coping and help-seeking skills. The goal is to create the conditions in which those who struggle will seek help, find a caring community, and support others.
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