MONDAY MEMO #29
- Resilient Georgia
- May 4
- 5 min read
Happy May, Partners! May is Mental Health Awareness Month— a time to shine a light on the importance of mental well-being, reduce stigma, and uplift the many ways our communities are building resilience. This month’s newsletter highlights upcoming events, trainings, and resources that support mental health across Georgia. To kick things off, check out this Free Your Feels Mental Health Awareness Month resource guide from Georgia DBHDD and Georgia Voices. Now, here are some highlights and reminders from the RG Team:
RG UPDATES
April General Meeting: Thank you to everyone who joined our General Meeting on Fostering Trauma-Informed Sectors and Systems last month! For those who couldn’t attend, you can check out the recording here and we will share a follow-up resource document soon. In the meantime, the presentation slides are also available on our website. If you attended, please take a moment to complete our brief survey to help us improve future meetings.
Save the Date! Our next General Meeting Regional Showcase will be held on November 13th at 11:00 AM—we hope to see you there!
Statewide Community Resiliency Model Summit Interest: With the help of some of our amazing coalition leads, we're planning Georgia’s first-ever statewide Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Summit for Fall 2025, and we want your input! This free event will bring together professionals from across sectors to connect, learn, and strengthen trauma-informed practices statewide. Whether you're new to CRM or already using it in your work, please take 2–3 minutes to complete this brief survey to help us gauge interest, estimate attendance, and shape a powerful, inclusive experience.
Upcoming May Dates:
May Peer-to-Peer Network: Coalition partners are welcome to join us Tomorrow May 6th from 2-3pm an informal, connection-focused session with fellow coalition leads across the state. This is a chance to build relationships, share ideas, and enjoy some lighthearted conversation. We’ll be pausing Peer Network meetings and office hours until the fall, so we hope you’ll join us for this final session before the summer!
May Lunch and Learn: This Thursday March 8th at Noon, join us for a presentation with John McElveen from Georgia Agriculture Wellness Alliance focused on mental health in Georgia’s ag community. Email Alex at aenglish@resilientga.org for the invite! Coalition Spotlight
Coalition Highlights
Resilient Communities of Southwest Georgia: Resilient Communities of Southwest Georgia is celebrating Mental Health Month with a Mental Health Mondays Virtual Lunch & Learn series on May 5, 12, and 19 at 12:00 PM—short, engaging sessions focused on mental health and resilience. These weekly events offer a great opportunity to learn, connect, and prioritize wellness during your lunch break. You can join each session via Zoom at this link. Additionally, in partnership with GSU’s Child Welfare Training Collaborative, the coalition is offering "Differences are Good! An Exploration of Cultural Competence" on May 19, from 10AM–1:30PM at the Vashti Center.
Resilient Southwest Georgia is offering a virtual Connections Matter training on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 9AM-12PM facilitated by Nikki Warner and Alex English. Connection’s Matter explores the impact of trauma, ACEs, brain development, and resilience, offering practical tools to strengthen personal and community well-being. The training is ideal for parents, educators, service providers, nonprofit professionals, and community members, and is approved for 4 CEUs for LPCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, law enforcement, and Bright from the Start. Details and registration information can be found here.
Funding
Funding Challenge: Young Futures has launched its latest Funding Challenge to support nonprofit-led solutions that help alleviate the pressures teens and preteens face in today's tech-driven world. The grant term will run from October 2025 through September 2026. Letters of Intent (LOI) are due May 9, 2025 and full proposal submissions (by invitation) are due by June 30, 2025. Eligible applicants include nonprofits focused on youth mental health, digital well-being, and related areas.
Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Evidence for Action program invites proposals for its "Research to Advance Racial and Indigenous Health Equity" initiative. This funding opportunity supports two tracks: Rapid Response Research grants for projects that have lost federal funding, and New Research Support for community-driven, action-oriented studies addressing systemic health inequities. Deadlines are May 28, 2025, for Rapid Response brief proposals and July 16, 2025, for New Research letters of intent.
Healthcare
Medicaid Member Advisory Group: Georgians for a Healthy Future and Georgia Voices are recruiting individuals aged 18+ who are enrolled in Medicaid (Amerigroup, CareSource, Peach State Health Plan) and parents or caregivers of children enrolled in Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids to join a new Medicaid Member Advisory Group. Members will help shape Georgia’s Medicaid and PeachCare programs by sharing their insights through monthly virtual meetings (1–2 hours) and will be compensated for their time. Please share and interested folks can apply here!
Training and Events
Georgia Children's Mental Health Day at the Capitol 2025: The 20th Annual Children’s Mental Health Day at the Capitol is this Thursday, May 8th from 8AM-12:30PM! This year’s event will feature commissioners, legislators, state behavioral health leaders, youth voices, and more, along with great networking opportunities, resources, and giveaways. We invite all Resilient Georgia staff, colleagues, friends, and family to attend and show support for children's mental health in Georgia. Register here!
"Shape of My Eyes" & Mental Health Virtual Fireside Chat Series: Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and Mental Health Awareness Month by joining the Catalyst Coalition’s virtual series during the month of May! Each week features meaningful conversations with Dave Gibbons and mental health professionals discussing key topics from his memoir. Sessions will be held on May 8th (Race & Identity with Dr. Stan Sonu), May 15th, May 22nd, and May 29th, from 8–9 PM ET. Check out the flyer for more details on speakers and topics, and register here!
Upcoming Mental Health Trainings from Mental Health America of Georgia: Join Mental Health America of Georgia this May for three free virtual workshops focused on building resilience and promoting mental wellness:
OWL - Building Resilience in Youth (May 7, 10:00 AM): Learn about social-emotional development, the impact of trauma, and strategies to build resilience and prevent caregiver fatigue. Register here!
Mental Health in the Workplace (May 8, 2:00 PM): Explore coping tools for self-care, maintaining work-life balance, and advocating for mental health in workplace settings. (Geared toward ages 16–26, but open to all!) Register here!
Building Resilience and Coping (May 22, 2:00 PM): Understand how effective coping skills can support mental health, and create a personalized plan to reduce stress and build resilience. (Geared toward ages 16–26, but open to all!) Register here!
Youth
Healthy Kids — Healthy Communities Project Updates: The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation's (PIN) Healthy Kids Healthy Communities initiative is dedicated to fostering healthier futures for Georgia's children. Through programs like the Citizen Farmers Academy, youth engage in hands-on experiences that teach farming, entrepreneurship, and wellness. These initiatives aim to provide education, economic opportunities, and access to healthy food for socio-economically and racially diverse families across the state.