Choose Mental Health 2024 SMILE Awards Now Open, New Category to Recognize Young Professionals and Students

Leading nonprofit fighting for youth mental health brings back SMILE Awards to recognize exemplary efforts to support our nation’s children and their families.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES , May 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Choose Mental Health, the national voice for children’s mental health, is recognizing leaders who are fighting for youth mental health with the prestigious recognition of the SMILE Awards. Award nominations are now open and will be accepted through October 1 here.

Back for its second year, the SMILE Awards program, standing for, “Sustained Mental Health Initiatives and Lifetime of Excellence,” is designed to recognize and celebrate outstanding businesses, organizations, individuals and young professionals and students across the United States that are actively working to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Recipients will have made significant efforts to support mental health initiatives in the workplace and/or the communities they serve.

Business/Organization
This award honors exceptional businesses or organizations that have demonstrated remarkable dedication to advancing youth mental health care and advocating for mental health care for all. Examples of qualifying initiatives include impactful benefits packages, hosting and initiating volunteer and fundraising efforts and meaningful community outreach programs that promote and build and promote solutions for children's mental health.

Individual
The Individual award recognizes the accomplishments of an individual aged 25 or older who has exhibited steadfast dedication and passion in supporting the mental well-being of all people. This award acknowledges their outstanding efforts, advocacy work and significant contributions towards enhancing youth mental health awareness and access to care for all.

NEW! Student + Young Professional
This award honors a student or young professional aged 18 to 24 who champions youth mental health and demonstrates outstanding potential, achievement, or engagement in this area. Nominees should be actively pursuing their education or early career while positively impacting youth mental health through their initiatives, projects, or extracurricular involvement.

Submissions for the SMILE Awards are free and open to all. There is no nomination limit and self-nominations are accepted. The full criteria may be found at www.choosementalhealth.org/smileaward/ or within the nomination form. Nominees are evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of Choose Mental Health board members and program partners from leading youth mental health treatment centers across the U.S.

“We’re thrilled with the support the inaugural SMILE Award program received and are excited to bring the program back for another year,” said Dan Pontius, President of Choose Mental Health. “Our continued goal is to elevate the pressing issues facing our nation’s youth and highlight those who have been dedicated to supporting the cause. We’re encouraged by the caliber of submissions and welcome all in joining our fight to end the stigma around youth mental health.”

Finalists and winners will be featured on Choose Mental Health’s website with additional marketing opportunities available including a feature on Choose Mental Health’s website homepage, winners’ press release feature, branding collateral to feature on company webpages, social media channels, email signatures and more.

Nomination forms can be found here: www.choosementalhealth.org/smileaward/.

Information about becoming a corporate partner with Choose Mental Health is available here.

About Choose Mental Health
Choose Mental Health is the national voice for children’s mental health, providing parents and caregivers with a resource that offers straightforward answers to mental health, relationships, family dynamics, anger, depression, and other critical topics. Choose Mental Health also provides a clear treatment path so help comes faster. Fundraising efforts support scholarships for children and youth who cannot afford mental health care. To learn more, please visit: ChooseMentalHealth.org.

Natalie Wanner
Reputation Partners
natalie@reputationpartners.com