For counselors, teachers, and parents bringing this to admin
Schools decision-maker pack
Three artifacts you can forward, attach, or paste into a board packet — without writing them yourself.
Email-to-principal template
Personalize the bracketed names and send. Written from the perspective of a counselor, teacher, or parent recommending the pilot upward.
Subject: A free mental wellness pilot for our students this semester Hi [Principal / Director name], I want to flag a tool I think we should pilot this semester: MindHaven (https://getmindhaven.org/for-schools). It's a culturally responsive mental wellness platform built specifically for students in communities like ours, and they're offering free pilots for qualifying schools. A few reasons it stood out: — It was built by a Brooklyn youth-development practitioner with 16+ years of direct experience, not a wellness brand from outside our community. — Crisis routing (988 + Crisis Text Line) is built into every page, with a counselor referral path we'd configure together during pilot kickoff. — Aggregate-only admin reporting — we'd see engagement patterns, not individual student journals or chats. Students keep ownership of their data. — Spanish-language crisis lines and Latino-led therapist directories are first-class on the platform. — It's a Progressive Web App, so it works on Chromebooks and any phone — no app-store gatekeeping. The pilot is structured: a kickoff call, 2-3 weeks of student rollout, a mid-pilot check-in, and an end-of-semester impact report. No commitment after. I think we should at least take the kickoff call. Could I set up a 15-minute intro for us? More info: https://getmindhaven.org/for-schools Thanks, [Your name]
Board-meeting talking points
A structured outline covering the problem, the pilot, why it beats generic wellness apps, privacy posture, crisis handling, and the ask. Drop into a board packet or read aloud.
MindHaven Pilot — Board Talking Points THE PROBLEM • 42% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the most recent CDC YRBS. • Less than 1 in 3 youth experiencing a mental health condition receive any care — even fewer in low-income communities of color. • U.S. public schools average 1 counselor per 385 students, far above the 250:1 recommended ratio. THE PROPOSED PILOT • Tool: MindHaven (mental wellness companion — AI chat, mood tracking, journaling, breathing, safety plans, crisis routing). • Cost: Free for the pilot semester. Per-seat licensing only if we choose to continue. • Length: One semester. Built-in checkpoints at week 1 (kickoff), weeks 2-3 (rollout), week 6 (mid-pilot), and end of semester (impact report). • Risk: Founder is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) (Working Wonders Starting Home Inc.). Pre-launch — they tell us this directly. We'd be one of their early structured pilots. WHY THIS, NOT [GENERIC WELLNESS APP] • Cultural responsiveness is the lead, not an afterthought. Stories of recovery feature Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, AAPI, and Indigenous voices. Spanish-speaking crisis lines and therapist directories are built in. • Founder built the product around 16+ years of direct youth-development work, not market research. • We get a direct line to the founder — feedback shapes the roadmap. PRIVACY POSTURE • Administrators see aggregate, anonymous usage only. No individual journals, chats, or mood entries. • Students own their data and can export or delete it at any time. • Not currently HIPAA-certified — they tell us this up front. They are a wellness companion, not a clinical EHR. • Not a surveillance tool. Not selling data. CRISIS HANDLING • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) are surfaced on every page. • Counselor referral path is configured during pilot kickoff so flags reach our team — not a black box. • Stanley-Brown Safety Plan builder is included for any student at risk. THE ASK • Approve a no-cost pilot for [N students / one cohort / a single grade level] for the [Spring / Fall] semester. • Designate one counselor or social worker as the pilot point of contact for the kickoff call. LINK https://getmindhaven.org/for-schools