1. Who are your Team Allies?

It is important to realize that recognizing the decline of your athlete’s mental health is a team effort. It is your role to encourage your Team Allies to RAR (Recognize, Approach & Refer) your athletes to your Mental Health Allies (secondary circle of care). This encouragement can be done through the mental health address pre-season.

Step 1: Identify your Team Allies

This can include:

• your whole team (everyone can RAR)
• team leaders such as athletic therapists, assistant coaches, team captains

2. Who are your Mental Health Allies?

Once you have identified your Team Allies, you not only want to encourage them to recognize signs and approach an athlete in need, you want them to be properly equipped with tools to provide to your athlete. This means letting your Team Allies know who they can refer athletes too. Create a simple handout listing your Mental Health Allies.

Step 1: Identify your Mental Health Allies

(phone number/contact info, location, wait time)

This can include:

• on campus resources with follow up (counselors, psychologists, mental health performance consultants, sports medicine physicians, on campus clinics or health services)
• crisis resources (911, crisis lines ie. distress centre, kids help phone)
• community services with follow up

Step 2: Create a simple “handout” listing your Mental Health Allies information