Foster a new mental health culture in schools

In this edition, we are proud to share that the Ame Sua Mente na Escola mental health training program continues to expand—not only in terms of the territories it reaches, but also in the audiences it serves.

This year, in addition to offering courses for school principals and public school educators, the Institute developed a new learning journey specifically designed for school psychologists.

This new training initiative supports the implementation of Law 13.935/2019, which mandates the presence of psychology and social work professionals in public basic education systems. With 25 hours of content distributed across eight modules, the course was co-created with psychologists from different regions of Brazil, ensuring alignment with diverse local realities.

Meanwhile, the Ame Sua Mente na Escola – Educators course has reached Brazil’s Northern region. Through a partnership with the Pará State Department of Education and Fundação Itaú Social, around 250 educators are participating in the program, which aims to strengthen mental health literacy.

In addition to the ongoing training, a working group—composed of local educators and guided by Institute specialists—is developing protocols with recommendations on priority topics for the public school system: crisis management; violence, bullying, and cyberbullying; and self-harm. The goal is to foster emotional balance among educators, students, and the entire school community.

In the Southern region, we concluded in September the Ame Sua Mente na Escola training program in the state of Paraná. More than 700 educators took part, along with 150 specialists from the Department of Inclusive Education (DEIN) of the State Secretariat of Education (SEED-PR). Together, they will multiply the knowledge gained among more than 2,000 public school professionals.

There, a co-construction process also took place, in which DEIN specialists—supported by the Institute’s psychologists and psychiatrists—developed training guides to foster school community engagement in promoting mental health. The initiative was supported by Fundação Itaú Social.

In São Paulo state, the first training cycle of Ame Sua Mente na Escola 2025, completed in August, directly impacted more than 1,200 public school educators, in partnership with the State Secretariat of Education (Seduc-SP).

Finally, and just as importantly, in October, the second edition of the course began—once again focused on the state network and carried out in partnership with EFAPE, the School for the Development and Training of Education Professionals of the State of São Paulo—with the engagement of 1,300 educators.

This marks the first time the Institute has conducted two training cycles in the same year in partnership with Seduc-SP—a milestone in expanding mental health education across public schools.

The expansion of Ame Sua Mente na Escola to new audiences and regions reaffirms the commitment of Instituto Ame Sua Mente to promoting a new culture of mental health care throughout Brazil.

See you next time!

In line with our commitment to transparency with you—those who believe in our work and support our cause—I’d like to share some updates. In our last report, we presented the quantitative results of the Ame Sua Mente na Escola (Love Your Mind at School) project. This time, we want to share the impact revealed in the qualitative evaluation of the 2024 cycle.

•   90% reported an increase in their knowledge of mental health.
  
  
•   84.3% reported a reduction in stigma surrounding mental health disorders.
  
  
•   92.4% feel more equipped to take care of their own mental health.
  
  
•   90% feel better prepared to address and deal with mental health issues among students.
  
  
•   86.7% feel more confident in making appropriate referrals.

The educators’ reflections reveal a genuine and inspiring transformation: the way mental health is viewed in schools is changing. They show how the awareness of the topic has increased, value self-care, are questioning limiting beliefs, and are embracing emotional language with increasing ease. Many have also expressed a desire to share what they’ve learned with their colleagues, broadening the reach of this transformation.

Even without explicitly using the word "stigma," their words say a lot: silences are being broken, judgments are fading, and empathy is finding space. This is a clear sign that we are witnessing a powerful movement of change—both personal and institutional.

We collected hundreds of testimonials, and below are a few that moved us deeply and showed we’re on the right path:

“The process of stigmatization is still very present in schools. The content presented needs to be widely shared with educators, as knowledge can help reduce problems caused by a stereotyped view of mental disorders.”

“This training was essential for my professional growth. Although I had always heard about the importance of mental health, it's hard to find quality materials and training that truly help overcome the barrier of the unknown.”

“My greatest motivation to join and complete this course was the relevance of the topic [...] Learning more about mental health, mental problems, and mental disorders—understanding the differences and how to manage them—is fundamental.”

Amazing, right? Meanwhile, our first 2025 Love Your Mind at School training cycle is underway in the state of São Paulo, with more than 1,000 educators enrolled and we have just got another important partnership with Centro Paula Sousa that is part of the Secretaria de Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Tecnologia do Estado de São Paulo  (Department of Development, Innovation, and Technology – Paula Sousa Center) to train their educators. The year is halfway through, and there’s still a long way to go on the journey of mental health in schools.

We’re counting on you to walk with us.

Warm regards,