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Moving Beyond Survival Mode
Sample Downloads
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Executive Summary
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How To Use This Toolkit
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What Is Mental Wellness
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Moving Beyond Survival Mode
Documentary and Research Report

Purchase Report Button$74.95
(includes the DVD and Report)

MEE’s latest documentary, Moving Beyond Survival Mode: Promoting Mental Wellness and Resiliency as a Way to Cope with Urban Trauma, explores how living in low-income, underserved communities puts individuals at risk for stress, ongoing trauma, depression and even mental health problems. This video showcases the voices of Americans who too often fall through the cracks. Young Black Americans who feel beaten down by the struggle to survive poverty, broken homes, child abuse, violent communities, poor schools, institutional racism, police harassment and other social ills-share their stories and their emotional “injuries.”

Based on a national research project on the state of mind and mental health of low-income African Americans, this 45-minute documentary focuses on the stresses and challenges African American families living in poor and at-risk communities face daily, along with the huge and growing need for stronger mental wellness support systems.

The documentary focuses on a range of issues, including interpersonal relationships, the ability to focus in school or at work and life choices. Women and men who live in Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago and the Oakland area tell the story of what it’s like living in survival mode, when their neighborhoods are overrun by violence, poverty and drugs.

Moving Beyond Survival Mode searches for insights that help identify the causes for generational cycles of family dysfunction, feelings of abandonment and anger at an oppressive “system” that lead people to behaviors that have negative consequences-at both the individual and community level. The documentary also explores the barriers poor families face while trying to navigate the current mental healthcare system.

By providing a voice to those who are too often overlooked, the report and documentary present a thoughtful and enlightening discussion of what helps young people thrive, instead of merely survive. It raises new awareness of the issues related to ongoing stress and trauma and will begin to change the way people think about mental wellness. Most of all, MEE hopes to compel readers and viewers to do something—to get help, to help somebody, to reach out—in their own communities.
Included with your purchase of the full Toolkit:

As a MEE Community Wellness Toolkit subscriber, your log-in password will give you access to special “members only” sections of the Mental Wellness Website. You will also receive a hard copy of any new versions of the Toolkit components for one full year from the date of purchase.

By becoming a subscriber, you will also be eligible to renew your subscription each year at a special “Members Only” rate, so that you can keep up-to-date on the research and findings that will be added to the Toolkit or presented in online Webinars.
Moving Beyond Survival Mode
Toolkit Subscription

Purchase Toolkit Button$124.95
(includes the Toolkit, Future Toolkit Updates and Moving Beyond Survival Mode DVD & Report)

The MEE Community Wellness Toolkit is a comprehensive and user-friendly tool to help local organizations and service providers understand and be able to share important issues related to mental wellness in low-income African American communities. The Toolkit is organized to help anyone working “on the frontlines” in low-income urban communities see how issues related to mental wellness are impacting a myriad of social and public health issues.

The national focus group research that spawned this Toolkit explored what helps low-income, inner city young people thrive -- rather than merely survive. In spite of what these youth are subjected to, they exhibit resilience and strength-based behaviors to manage life’s stressors and handle traumatic or violent events. The MEE Community Wellness Toolkit can help the broader community and mental health professionals equip young people with the psychological tools they need to meet today’s challenges.

The Toolkit includes the following components:

  • How to Use the Toolkit
  • Stress and Trauma in Daily Life
    • Something is Wrong: How to Recognize Signs of a Mental or Emotional Issue
  • Using Oral Communications to Counter Arguments Against
  • Mental Health Services
  • What is Mental Wellness?
  • Mobilizing Your Community for Better Mental Health: How to Work with CBOs
  • Let’s Talk About Mental Wellness: How to Organize Community Events
  • Using Creative Outlets to Talk About Tough Issues (Case Study of Youth Activity)
  • What’s Your Plan: A Goal-Oriented Activity to Support Thriving (vs. Merely Surviving)
  • Community Outreach Flyer Templates
  • Resources for Mental Wellness
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