Foster a new mental health culture in schools

by Instituto Ame Sua Mente
Play Video
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools
Foster a new mental health culture in schools

Project Report | Oct 6, 2026
New Mental Health Model in Schools

By Alessandra Paz | Institutional Relations Manager | Project Leader

Training of psychologists in Nova Serrana.
Training of psychologists in Nova Serrana.

ENGLISH VERSION | VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS ABAIXO

This quarter, the Ame Sua Mente na Escola program advanced its implementation strategy and adopted a new operating model within public school networks. Building on the knowledge accumulated over recent years, the Institute developed an approach that expands the program's reach: beyond training school professionals, it now supports the structured and sustainable integration of mental health into the daily school routine.

One of the main milestones of this movement was the launch of our work in the city of Nova Serrana, in the state of Minas Gerais. In partnership with the Municipal Department of Education, the Institute initiated the implementation of the School Mental Health Model, structured around six pillars:

  • Mental health training and literacy;
  • School mobilization and engagement;
  • School mental health mapping;
  • Formation of local committees to implement strategic actions promoting mental health within the school community;
  • Continuous evaluation and monitoring;
  • Participatory planning.

The proposal brings together different actors from the school community and combines the development of knowledge and tools with continuous support, evidence generation, and coordination with the local network. Thus, the training becomes part of a broader strategy for mental health promotion, prevention, and care.

In Nova Serrana, the Ame Sua Mente na Escola program began implementation across the 51 units of the municipal network, training educators, administrators, and school psychologists. The goal is to support the municipality in building an ecosystem capable of recognizing needs, organizing responses, and guiding policies and practices based on the evidence generated throughout the implementation.

This experience marks a new frontier of application for the program and will allow us to test and refine this model so that it can later be adapted to different contexts and educational networks across the country.

In parallel, the quarter was marked by the continuity and advancement of other initiatives by the Institute, such as our partnership with the Departments of Education and of Science, Technology, and Innovation of the State of São Paulo. This strengthens our work with public school networks and our commitment to making mental health a permanent dimension of Brazilian education.

VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS

Novo modelo de saúde mental na escola

Neste trimestre, o Ame Sua Mente na Escola avançou em sua estratégia de implementação e passou a contar com um novo modelo de atuação junto às redes públicas de ensino. A partir do conhecimento acumulado ao longo dos últimos anos, o Instituto desenvolveu uma abordagem que amplia o alcance do programa: além da formação de profissionais da escola, passa a apoiar a incorporação da saúde mental de forma estruturada e sustentável ao cotidiano escolar.

Um dos principais marcos desse movimento foi o início do trabalho na cidade de Nova Serrana, no estado de Minas Gerais. Em parceria com a Secretaria Municipal de Educação, o Instituto iniciou a implementação do Modelo-Escola de Saúde Mental, estruturado em seis pilares: 

  1. Formação e letramento em saúde mental;
  2. Mobilização e adesão das escolas;
  3. Mapeamento em saúde mental escolar;
  4. Constituição de comitês locais para implementação de ações estratégicas promotoras de saúde mental junto à comunidade escolar;
  5. Avaliação e monitoramento contínuo;
  6. Planejamento participativo.

A proposta reúne diferentes atores da comunidade escolar e combina o desenvolvimento de conhecimentos e ferramentas com acompanhamento contínuo, produção de evidências e articulação com a rede local. Assim, a formação passa a integrar uma estratégia mais ampla de promoção, prevenção e cuidado em saúde mental.

Em Nova Serrana, o Ame Sua Mente na Escola começou a ser implementado nas 51 unidades da rede municipal, com a formação de educadores, gestores e psicólogos escolares. O objetivo é apoiar o município na construção de um ecossistema capaz de reconhecer necessidades, organizar respostas e orientar políticas e práticas a partir das evidências produzidas ao longo da implementação.

A experiência marca uma nova frente de aplicação do programa Ame sua Mente na Escola e permitirá testar e aprimorar esse modelo para que, posteriormente, possa ser adaptado a diferentes contextos e redes de ensino do país.

Em paralelo, o trimestre foi marcado pela continuidade e pelo avanço de outras iniciativas do Instituto, como a parceria com as Secretarias da Educação e de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação do Estado de São Paulo, fortalecendo nossa atuação junto às redes públicas de ensino e nosso compromisso de fazer da saúde mental uma dimensão permanente da educação brasileira.

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jun 9, 2026
Ame Sua Mente: Impact and Innovation

By Maira Brandao | Junior Communications and Fundraising Specialist

Feb 13, 2026
Beginning 2026: Impact, Partnership & Recognition

By Maira Brandao | Junior Communications and Fundraising Specialist

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.

Sign up for updates

Organization Information

Instituto Ame Sua Mente

Location: Sao Paulo - Brazil
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
X / Twitter: Profile
Project Leader:
Maíra Brandão
Sao Paulo , Sao Paulo Brazil

Learn more about GlobalGiving

Teenage Science Students
Vetting +
Due Diligence

Snorkeler
Our
Impact

Woman Holding a Gift Card
Give
Gift Cards

Young Girl with a Bicycle
GlobalGiving
Guarantee

Get incredible stories, promotions, and matching offers in your inbox

WARNING: Javascript is currently disabled or is not available in your browser. GlobalGiving makes extensive use of Javascript and will not function properly with Javascript disabled. Please enable Javascript and refresh this page.