I.C. Hope

 

I.C.HOPE Program is a comprehensive mental health awareness and educational effort that is designed to help overcome the negative perceptions and images associated with mental illness. The key objectives of the I.C.HOPE Program are to erase stigmas about mental health among all ages and across all ethnic groups, to provide a lighthearted way to educate the community about mental illness, to promote mental health through mental wellness, and to provide a referral system to those seeking help. Mental Health America of Licking County offers the I.C. HOPE StoryTime Curriculum, a positive and fun educational program designed to address relevant topics and issues that affect today's children and families. I.C. Hope is designed to bring about a positive attitude and erase the stigma surrounding mental and emotional struggles that affect every family.

The curriculum, appropriate for grades K-6, is a five-part series and takes place in the classroom setting. The interactive story time will be presented by our trained staff. The five topics covered: are bullying, anger, stress, mental health, and grief (more info below). The sessions are 30-45 minutes long, depending on the needs of the school building and the age of the children.

The first week is about Child/Youth Mental Health. The book that will be read for the first week of the curriculum is titled Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Students will understand that everyone has bad days, even bad weeks. They will learn healthy ways to cope with anger, grief, and frustration. The students will gain a better understanding of mental health and wellness. The discussion will allow for brainstorming on self-care and mental wellness. Following the story, the presenter will have a class discussion with the students and ask them questions concerning the story that assist the children in expressing their similar experiences, how they felt before and after the experience and how they dealt with the situation.

When needed and appropriate, the book Glasses for the Brain by William McFarren   is an alternative book that is also used to address mental health. Students will learn about ADHD and how everyone is different and it is ok to be different. Students will also learn that all emotions are ok to experience. They will learn that when certain emotions such as sadness or worrying happen all the time, it could be because of a mental illness. The students will gain a better understanding of mental health and wellness. The discussion will allow for brainstorming on self-care and mental wellness. Following the story, the presenter will have a class discussion with the students and ask them questions concerning the story that assist the children in expressing how they might feel in similar situations; talking to a trusted adult about problems will be emphasized.

The second week is about Understanding Stress. The book that will be read for the second week of the curriculum is titled The Berenstain Bears and TOO MUCH PRESSURE by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Students will learn how to manage time and determine when "enough is enough." The discussion will allow the students to explore options on how to deal with the stress of daily activities. The students should understand that stress is a natural part of life that can be a good thing if used correctly.

The third week is about Understanding Anger. The book that will be read for the third week of the curriculum is titled I Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer. Students will learn how to effectively express and control anger. The discussion will allow children the chance to explore options on how to handle their anger-what to do and what not to do. They will also be given the chance to come up with alternatives to being angry-singing a song, giving a hug. The children should understand that anger is a normal feeling, but how we deal with it is the issue.

The fourth week is about the Effects of Bullying. The book that will be read the fourth week is titled Stop Picking on Me: A First Look at Bullying by Pat Thomas. Students will learn the effects of bullying on others as well as themselves. They will learn how to deal with a bully by changing the way they think about themselves. The discussion will allow the students to voice their opinion on bullying and to decide as a group what they think about bullies.

The fifth week is about Understanding Bereavement and Grief. The book that will be read for the fifth week is titled When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown. Students will learn about what it means to be alive, why people die, what the word "dead" means, how to say good-bye to someone you love and how to remember someone who has died. The discussion will allow students to talk about their fears, thoughts and feelings related to death and share personal experiences. The discussion will also allow students to understand that grief is a normal process.

The program is available free of charge to residents, schools, businesses, and organizations in Licking County, OH. Other groups can access the program for a nominal fee. Thank you for your interest in our program. Please feel free to contact the program coordinator with any further questions.

Click here to view/print our volunteer application

CONTACT INFO:

Mental Health America of Licking County
65 Messimer Dr.
Newark, OH 43055
ichope@mhalc.org
prevention@mhalc.org
740-788-0339

Links