MONDAY MEMO #42
- Resilient Georgia
- Aug 10
- 6 min read
Happy Monday, partners! Welcome to your weekly Monday Memo. As the school year kicks into gear, we have included a variety of back-to-school and youth-centered mental health and substance use prevention resources, as well as professional development and funding opportunities! But first, here are some updates from the RG Team:
RG UPDATES
Regional Coalition Events Reminder: Thanks to everyone who has continued to submit your coalition events for our website. This calendar is housed on the RG website and is a great way to showcase upcoming trainings, summits, and partner activities across the state. As a reminder, please submit your coalition events here. We appreciate your support in keeping this webpage up-to-date!
August Lunch & Learn: Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education: Join us this Thursday, August 14 from 12:00–12:45 PM on Zoom for our next Lunch & Learn featuring Kathleen Da Silva and Matt Smith from the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE). They’ll share how GPEE’s initiatives—including EdQuest Georgia, Regional Summits, Community Asset Mapping, and the Rural Learning Network—help align education and workforce strategies across the state. This session will highlight the powerful role of community, health, and environment in shaping educational outcomes and economic opportunity. Please share with your educational partners and email Alex English, aenglish@resilientga.org, to request an invite.
August Power of Healing Blog: "Perfect" to Present: A Back-to-School Mindset Reset by AAshi Patel As part of Resilient Georgia’s Power of Healing series, high school student AAshi Patel shares a powerful reflection on the toll of perfectionism and her journey toward self-acceptance. Drawing from personal experience, AAshi opens up about the pressure to perform academically from a young age, which ultimately led to burnout. Her message is a timely reminder—especially at the start of a new school year—that our worth isn’t defined by grades or achievements. AAshi is our first youth writer of this series and you can check out her other works on her substack.
Coalition Spotlights
Resilient Coastal Georgia: WTOC’s Morning Break recently featured CGIC Executive Director and RCG lead, Kim Clifton, discussing Georgia’s drop to 39th in the nation for overall child well-being, as reported in the 2025 Kids Count Data Book. She outlined how the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition is addressing local challenges—like rising child poverty and declining academic performance—through data-driven strategies, cross-sector collaboration, and community-led initiatives, all aimed at reversing troubling trends and building a stronger, more resilient Chatham County. Watch the broadcast here!
Resilient WEST Central: Our newest coalition partners at Pike and Upson Family Connections are hosting an upcoming Stop Suicide USA training on September 9th. This L3 Suicide Intervention Skills training will be in Meansville, Georgia at Northridge Church from 9AM-2:30PM. The training is eligible for CEU's. Check out the flyer or click here for registration and details.
Resilient WEST is co-hosting the Trauma-Informed Workforce and Restorative Justice Summit in partnership with the Development Authority of LaGrange, Communities in Schools Georgia, and the Troup County School System on August 22nd from 9-11AM in LaGrange. This event will focus on the power of trauma-informed practices to build stronger, healthier communities. Attendees will explore how trauma-informed approaches in education, workforce development, and restorative justice can enhance organizational engagement, support economic outcomes, and improve recruitment. Resilient WEST’s Judge Key will be among the featured speakers, sharing valuable insights and strategies. Breakfast will also be provided. Register here!
Back-to-School
Bullying Prevention Webinar for Parents & Caregivers – The Georgia Department of Public Health invites families to join a free, one-hour webinar on Tuesday, August 12 at 4:30 PM, led by Dr. Eric Landers of Georgia Southern University. This interactive session will help parents recognize the signs of bullying, understand the difference between normal peer conflict and true bullying, and learn practical ways to support children who are affected or have witnessed it. Register here for tools to foster safe, respectful environments as the new school year begins and please share!
As the school year begins, we wanted to take a moment to remind folks of Kate’s Club, a Georgia nonprofit focused on helping children and families cope with grief. Training topics range from child bereavement 101, supporting the young adult griever, and mental health awareness training. All training sessions are interactive and are offered virtually or in-person. Kate’s Club works with youth-serving organizations and schools to provide services and training. For more information on how to partner, please contact lane.pease@katesclub.org.
Funding
Third Wave Fund - BIPOC gender justice liberation The Mobilize Power Fund from Third Wave Fund offers grants of up to $10,000—or $20,000 for partnerships—to support urgent community organizing, healing justice, legal needs, and grassroots efforts. The fund prioritizes youth-led groups by and for young women of color, and trans, queer, gender nonconforming, and intersex youth of color under age 35. Upcoming application deadline is October 7, 2025.
Mental Health In the News
New digital mental health resource tool launches in Alabama, WSFA CredibleMind, a free, confidential online mental wellness platform, was launched by the Alabama Department of Public Health to make mental health support more accessible. It offers evidence-based resources—videos, podcasts, apps, books, and articles—on topics like stress, anxiety, sleep, grief, and more, helping residents access self-care tools anytime without stigma or long wait times.
When Productivity Becomes Pathological | A Slight Change of Plans: In this moving episode, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Joseph shares her personal and professional insights into high functioning depression, a condition not yet recognized in the DSM. She discusses her groundbreaking research, the first and only study of its kind, and highlights how healthcare workers and mental health professionals are particularly vulnerable. Dr. Joseph also offers self-assessment tools on her website, including a High Functioning Depression Quiz and Anhedonia Quiz, to support self-reflection and early intervention. Her story is a powerful reminder that even when everything looks “fine” on the outside, many are silently struggling—and they’re not alone.
Illinois is the first state in the United States to require mental health screenings for students: Starting the 2027-2028 school year, students are required to undergo minimum of one mental health screening annually and parents and caregivers will have access to the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation Portal, a mental health resource and service guide.
Professional Development
NAMI Walks Georgia Dr. John Constantino, Chief of Behavioral and Mental Health at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is the Honorary Chair of NAMIWalks Georgia 2025 on October 4 from 9 to 12 PM at Assembly Park in Doraville. Join to support mental health and illness prevention, walking with others. Please share this event widely with your networks!
2025 Black Maternal Mental Health Summit and Sponsorship Opportunity Postpartum Support International Georgia’s fifth annual Black Maternal Mental Health Summit will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. This year’s theme, “Together We Thrive,” centers on collective healing, empowerment, and connection across families, providers, and systems of care. Check out the sponsorship guide here.
GA-AIMH 2025 Conference is happening November 12 from 9 AM to 4 PM at Georgia State University. The conference will focus on infant and early childhood mental health and well-being of caregivers and supporters of infants and children. Register here early by August 31 for a discount or by October 31 for regular price and access the sponsorship guide here.
Youth Substance Use and Vaping
GUIDE, Inc.Is focused on improving and preventing substance use and abuse through collaboration work, promoting positive youth development, and offering training and resources. Navigate the website to learn more information about the work GUIDE is doing in communities, upcoming trainings, or substance use and abuse resources.
The Georgia Prevention Project works with community members, schools, and prevention professionals to stop substance abuse among young people in Georgia. The project comprises of various coalitions a, councils, and partnerships, like the College Prevention Partnership and the Partners in Prevention Project. Read more about the numerous initiatives under this project here. Additionally, peruse resources offered by the project here.