The Jed Foundation and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) are excited to release Starting the Conversation: College and Your Mental Health, a new guide to help students and parents talk about mental health. 

The guide is intended to help families have important conversations about mental health before students leave for college. It explains the laws and rules around privacy and parental notification, and encourages discussion about how students can keep their parents informed. 

Talking about these issues will help families know what to do if a student develops emotional distress, a mental health condition or if an existing condition worsens. Even if the student hasn't experienced a mental health condition, learning more will help better equip them to know what to do if a friend is in distress. 

While it may be hard to initiate this conversation, it can make all the difference.