Siena Blog

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Mental Health Awareness Month 2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! At Siena our goal is to foster community connection and reduce stigma. Mental Health America’s 2026 Theme is “More Good Days, Together.”

As the counseling team at Siena, we adopted this theme because it focuses on what MHA describes as “community support, strengthening connections to improve mental wellness, and acknowledging that "good" is unique to each individual.”

Many of our students have profiles that encompass such developmental differences as ADHD and other neurodivergence. Although some diagnostic labels can be stigmatizing or limiting, they can also serve as important guides for individual support and empowerment. 
 

Mental Health Awareness Activities 

The Mental Health Awareness 2026 theme is “More Good Days, Together.” What does this mean to you?

Our goal for Mental Health Awareness Month is to reduce stigma by increasing empathy and connection, increasing flexible thinking with labels, and encouraging everyone to talk about their whole health. There are growth opportunities for personal development and adapting to challenging situations even within our personal labels and profiles. This approach is consistent with Siena’s dedication to movement, multisensory approaches, and awareness of social-emotional needs.

The counseling team has created a Self-Care Wheel to encourage all families to have more good days together. One way to do that is to improve well-being and engage in self-care activities. For example, we’ve shared this activity with our families: 
 

Siena Mental Health Events and Resources 

At Siena we are here to support our students and their families. As we often say, “It takes a village. We are your village.”

Take a look below at what our students have been learning during Mental Health Awareness month at Siena, organized around key myths and facts:  

Friday, May 1st

Myth: Mental Health and Mental Illness are the same.
Fact: Although used interchangeably, each term has its own meaning.

Mental Health is a continuum of wellness that can fluctuate. It is a broad state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being that applies to every individual, allowing them to cope with life's stresses.

Mental Illness is a term for diagnosable medical health conditions that can be managed with treatment.

Week 1: May 4-8th

Myth: You only need to take care of your mental health if you have a mental health condition.
Fact: Everyone can benefit from taking active steps to promote their well-being and improve their mental health. Similarly, everyone can take active steps and engage in healthy habits to optimize their physical health. This is a key reason that Siena prioritizes daily movement opportunities for students — sometimes in the classroom with flexible seating and movement breaks, or whenever possible outdoor recess on the playground (see our blog post about this). Students have daily recess and breaks built into their schedules to ensure regular movement.

Week 2: May 11-15th

Myth: Seeking help means I’ll have to take medication.
Fact: Treatment for mental health is highly individualized. While medication can be effective for some, it is not the only option.

Week 3: May 18-22th

Myth: Discussing mental health will exacerbate children’s anxiety or depression.
Fact: Open communication about mental health can actually have the opposite effect. Encouraging dialogue about emotions and mental well-being fosters a supportive environment where children feel comfortable expressing themselves. It also helps diminish stigma and encourages seeking help when necessary.

Week 4: May 25-29th

Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health issue.
Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. Friends and family can be important influences to help someone get the treatment and services they need by: 

• Reaching out and letting them know you are available to help
• Helping them access mental health services
• Help them learn self-care and coping techniques
• Learning and sharing facts about mental health, especially if you hear something that isn't true
• Treating them with respect, just as you would anyone else
• Refusing to define them by their diagnosis or using labels such as "crazy," instead use person-first language

In addition, we encouraged all students, faculty, and staff to wear green on Wednesday, May 20, to support Mental Health Awareness, and we’ll be offering a Lunch ‘n’ Learn in early June on Tips to Support Mental Health and Neurodivergence.

If you or your loved one needs support, organizations like Mental Health America and the National Alliance for Mental Illness can help. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

Siena Resources

See other posts of interest in our Social and Emotional Health blog category, such as these about Calming Strategies in the Classroom and Maintaining Routines.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education currently in its 20th anniversary year, serves bright, college-bound students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12).