Tips & Guidelines for Creating and Delivering an ETS Presentation

Tips & Guidelines for Creating and Delivering an ETS Presentation

1. Ask yourself these three questions for each slide.
These questions are designed to help you create an engaging, unique and effective
presentation.
   1. How can I briefly restate the key points in my own words?
   2. How can I engage youth?
   3. How can I use examples from my lived experience to illustrate the key points?

You don’t have a script for this presentation. Instead, you have a few key points for
each slide that you need to cover. Use your own words, engage teens and
personalize your presentation with examples from your life. You won’t have the time
to include your experiences and engage youth during every slide, but your goal
should be to share as much as possible without going over 25 minutes.

2. Be CONCISE!
Brief, specific examples have a greater impact on teens, so keep your message
concise when you’re creating your talking points. This is especially important when
sharing examples from your lived experience.

On average, use about one minute to present each slide. This will help you keep
their attention and complete your presentation within the 25-minute timeframe.

3. Remember the purpose of NAMI Ending the Silence.
The purpose of NAMI Ending the Silence is to:
   o Raise mental health awareness.
   o Reduce the stigma

ETS isn’t about teaching young people all there is to know about mental health
conditions. You’re making a great difference just by raising mental health awareness
and reducing stigma in the process. As we know, stigma is the biggest reason
people don’t seek treatment.

Remember that you’re also leaving youth with the resource card which has great
resources teens can turn to after the presentation for more support and information.

4. Use relatable lived-experience.
One of the best ways to keep youth engaged is to emphasize the key points with
examples from your own lived experience. Your presentation will be more effective if
you share examples that teens can relate to.

Below are a few questions to help you think about relatable examples from your
lived experience:
   o What were you or your family member like in high school?
   o What were the early warning signs you or your family member experienced?
   o Did a friend or a trusted adult play an important role in you or your family
     member seeking help?
   o What role did/does you or your family member’s friends play in your/their
     recovery?

5. Use words that can be understood by everyone.
When you use simple, short words, you’ll help youth better understand your
message. Long words, technical words and slang only distract people from your
overall message. If you do use a more technical word like manic, it’s important to
describe what manic looks and feels like. This will help teens better relate to your
experiences.

6. Don’t read the slides.
What you say should expand on the slide content, not repeat exactly what’s written
on them. Teens will read the slides on their own. If you read the slides, you’ll lose
your audience and they won’t absorb the messages you’re trying to communicate.
Instead, use the slides to help you pace yourself and as a reminder for what you
want to say

7. Project your voice.
When you’re speaking, try to project your voice—speak loudly and clearly enough
that even people in the back of the room can hear you. It’s a good idea to ask your
audience if you’re speaking loudly and clearly enough.

8. Use effective non-verbal communication.
Eye contact can be challenging, but it’s worth practicing. Don’t look directly at your
slides or your notes. Instead, use them as a reference tool and only look at them
briefly when you need to. You can keep teens engaged and interested in what you’re
saying with good eye contact, a straight, open-body position, hand movements that
support your words and by moving among the audience in a relaxed, natural way
instead of standing still in one location.

9. Slow down.
Share only as much information as you can while still speaking clearly and at a
relaxed pace. If you can’t engage and connect with teens, it almost doesn’t matter
what you say. Spend less time talking at youth and more time interacting with them.

10. Know your material.
Practice is essential. When you know your talking points well, you’ll feel relaxed and
you can focus on engaging your audience.

When you’re familiar with the information and services available on the resource
card websites, you can answer questions better and direct teens to the best
resource for them.

It’s important that you draw attention to the resource card as often as possible during
your presentation and the Q & A session. If you help teens see the value in these
resources, it’s more likely that they’ll use them to help themselves or a friend.

ETS PPT Presentation Talking Points Worksheet
Block 1: Slides 1—7

Key Points
   •   Give an enthusiastic introduction for yourself and the other presenter.
   •   The purpose of this presentation is to dispel myths and “end the silence”
       surrounding mental health.
   •   Disclaimer: We are NOT psychiatrists and not social workers. But we are
       experts in our own and our family member’s experiences living with a mental
       health condition. We call this the “lived experience.”

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Interactive Component: After the video has ended. By a show of hands, how
       many of you know someone who is living with a mental health condition?
       Next, instruct the class to look around and remind them that although it may
       feel like it sometimes, they are never alone. As we just saw, many of your lives
       are affected by mental health conditions. So, let’s talk about it.
   •   The videos in this presentation were created entirely by high school students
       as a part of the Directing Change project in California

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   We all have mental health, just like we all have physical health
   •   When we’re mentally healthy, we feel well and do well
   •   Provide an example of what a healthy mind looks like
   •   Just like with physical health, we must work at having a healthy mind

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Mental health conditions are medical illnesses, like any other physical illness
   •   It’s not anyone’s fault or something to be ashamed of. Anyone can have a
       mental health condition
   •   A mental health condition doesn’t have to limit your ability to achieve your
       goals

Talking Points

Interactive Component: Ask the group leader to pick a number between 1 and 5.
Ask all teens who have an index card with the number the group leader chose to
stand up. Explain that this represents the national statistic that 1 in 5 will experience a
mental health condition in a given year. Ask half of all the students standing up to sit
down. Those left standing represent the 50% of youth ages 8-15 who are not
receiving treatment. Move to next slide.

Talking Points

Key Points
    • NAMI uses statistics released from the National Institute of Mental Health
       (NIMH)
    • Mental illness is common
    • Many people don’t get help
    • The biggest reason people don’t get help is stigma

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Many people think that people with mental health conditions are more
       dangerous or violent—this is an example of stigma. The truth is, people with
       mental health conditions are more likely to be victims of violence.

   •   Interactive Component: How do you think stigma affects people with a mental
       health condition? Possible answers include: It makes them unhappy; they may
       not be able to get a job, or it may prevent someone from seeking help; it may
       cause them to lose their friends.

Talking Points

Block 2: Slides 8—14

Key Points
   •   Everyone feels anxious or sad sometimes, but if it lasts more than two weeks
       or if it’s getting in the way of your daily activities, talk to someone you trust
   •   These warning signs may indicate that a person is experiencing mental health
       challenges
   •   Provide CONCISE examples that illustrate some of these warning signs

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Provide CONCISE examples that illustrate some of these warning signs
   •   Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight, repeated use of
       alcohol or drugs and self-harm like cutting are negative coping strategies and
       don’t correct the underlying issues
   •   If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a mental health
       condition, it’s important to tell a trusted adult. Don’t keep warning signs a
       secret

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Interactive Component: Why do you think it’s important to talk to someone if
       you or someone you know is showing warning signs?
   •   There are many resources you can turn to for support and information (direct
       teens’ attention to resource card)
   •   Mention any mental health resources available at their school, including
       counselors, nurses, school psychiatrists and/or school social workers etc

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Suicide is complicated—it isn’t caused by just one event like a breakup, a fight
       with a friend or a bad grade
   •   Suicide is often caused by an underlying mental health condition, which can
       prevent someone from thinking clearly and rationally
   •   You can’t always tell when someone is thinking about suicide—sometimes
       these warning signs can be subtle
   •   Provide CONCISE examples that illustrate some of these warning signs
   •   Trust your instincts—you know your friends better than anyone. If something
       with your friend doesn’t seem right, they may not be thinking about suicide, but
       they still may need your help

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   If you or a friend is showing warning signs of suicide, tell a trusted adult or call
       the National Suicide Lifeline immediately
   •   Interactive Component: Who could you go to if you or a friend had thoughts
       of suicide?
   •   Asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide won’t put thoughts of suicide
       in their head or increase the risk of suicide. Asking this direct question is
       important, especially if you know your friend is going through a hard time

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None
When presenting in a school with a recent suicide:
   •   Many times, suicide can be prevented, but not always
   •   Sometimes warning signs aren’t easy to recognize—even mental health
       professionals don’t always know when someone is thinking about suicide
   •   We can’t control someone else’s behavior
   •   The death of your friend/classmate is not your fault

Talking Points

Block 3: Slides 15—25

Key Points
   •   Interactive Component: What do you think happens when people don’t get
       treatment for symptoms of a mental health condition? Possible answers
       include: symptoms get worse, hurts relationships, alcohol or drugs to hide
       symptoms.
   •   The good news is mental health conditions are TREATABLE
   •   There are many different types of treatment; you just need to find what works
       best for you
   •   The earlier you seek treatment, the better

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Interactive Component: We all feel stressed, nervous or sad sometimes.
       What are some of the positive things you do to make yourself feel better during
       these times?
   •   Healthy coping strategies, like eating right and getting enough sleep, are
       important for everyone, but critical for people with a mental health
       condition
   •   Positive coping strategies can be used to replace any negative coping
       strategies
   •   Developing effective coping strategies are essential to improving and
       maintaining mental health

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Begin by pausing a few seconds to allow the youth time to take these images
       in.
   •   Many people with mental health conditions like the ones you may recognize
       from this slide are able to live well and to succeed
   •   A mental health condition doesn’t have to limit your ability to achieve your
       goals and to live the life you want to live
   •   It’s important never to give up hope
   •   Note: the supplemental information resource includes the names and
       diagnoses of each celebrity.

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   The most important way you can help a friend is to recognize the warning signs
       and encourage your friend to tell a trusted adult if they’re showing these signs
   •   Share the resources on your resource card
   •   It’s easy; just be a good friend

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Now that you know the truth about mental health conditions, each one of you
       has the power to help eliminate the misunderstanding, lack of acceptance and
       the stigma surrounding mental health conditions
   •   OK2TALK.org is an online community for teens to talk about mental health
       and give people hope by sharing personal stories and inspirational messages
   •   Interactive component: After listening to this presentation, what’s one thing
       you personally will do to reduce the stigma associated with mental health
       conditions?

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Go through each point in your own words
   •   Point out that the beginning of the next video doesn’t have any sound

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   None

Talking Points

Key Points
   •   Introduce your co-presenter.

Talking Points