Your Name 123 Your Street Your City, ST 12345 (123) 456-7890 no_reply@example.com 4th September 20XX Name of Recipient Position, Company Name 123 Address St Anytown, ST 12345 To whom it may concern, I am a student at __Your School or Community__ and I think the PASS kit would be a great addition to our mental health activities to promote proactive attitudes and mental health discussion. I came across the PASS kit when I was looking up stress management tools and I really appreciate their company’s practical and empathetic perspective. The PASS kit is a ‘first aid kit for mental health’ created by PASS (Panic, Anxiety, & Stress Support Inc.) a social venture in Kitchener, Canada, and is used by campuses and workplaces worldwide. Each kit includes earplugs, an eye mask, chewing gum, a squeezable stress toy, and a set of flashcards with tweet-length mental health advice for easy comprehension during times of overwhelming stress. Each item included was carefully considered with scientific reasoning. The earplugs and eye mask help reduce anxiety by blocking external stressors (e.g. noise and light), the gum and squeezable stress star help stimulate the muscles and senses to help “snap out of a bad thought pattern”, and the flash cards contain straightforward advice and relaxation techniques based off of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Over 60% of Canadian university students say they experienced above average or tremendous stress within the last 12 months, and 42% of students felt that their academic performance had been impacted by stress (NCHA, 2016). Health Canada (2007) states high stress can also lead students to experience “poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, difficulty concentrating, and bad coping mechanisms such as heavy alcohol use.” Individuals may feel their situation is not severe enough to warrant formal solutions for mental health issues such as counselling or helplines. Although informal options such as talking to friends, peer support, and self-help literature exist, they may not be accessible to everyone. Someone might not be ready to talk about their experiences with others, and pamphlets are too text heavy to engage a student going through a moment of panic. To prevent students from developing maladaptive coping behaviours for unresolved stress, the PASS kit can guide the adoption of sustainable coping strategies. The PASS kit teaches evidence-based methods to manage the symptoms of anxiety and stress experienced during school. As a student, I have found mental health services can always improve in addressing stress and coping strategies. Many students have trouble transitioning from highschool to the fast-paced university environment, and it often shows that their stress management strategies may not be as effective as they used to be. Without well broadcasted or effective resources, it’s easy to fall prey to bad habits. Accessibility is another issue that students like myself face. Mental health resources can also be difficult to find and access for many students. They often require taking time to travel and use, for example on-campus peer support which is not always viable for a student in the middle of finals season. A physical resource to have on hand at all times would remove the barriers of time and distance to allow access to immediate support. Formal solutions often feel like last resorts or are there for students in crisis, thus an intermediate step between awareness and professional help would be beneficial because everyone faces stress but not everyone wishes to seek therapy. I also see students facing internalized stigma against stress and mental health. Everyone’s experienced the feeling of “I’m the only one who doesn’t have their life together” when they’re stressed, but this sentiment is misguided. I’m sure fellow students would appreciate a tool such as the PASS kit to destigmatize mental health by educating others, starting a conversation, and teaching healthy ways to deal with stress between peers to show that stress is a universal feeling that we can support each other through. I appreciate that the PASS kit explores the mental health dialogue in an informal and approachable way. Individuals worldwide have reported PASS kits’ aid in stress management and have adopted it into their lifestyles - with 48% users continuing its use after 4 months in an early pilot. Users, ranging from students, and parents, to instructors and entrepreneurs, testify that: “PASS kit does an excellent job of assisting anyone through symptoms of panic, anxiety and stress.” - Mental Health First Aid trainer. “It helped me get organized and gave me direction when I didn’t know what to do.” - Undergraduate Student, Mathematics. “PASS kit allows me to feel comfortable that we are providing a tangible resource.” - Residence Life Manager. On behalf of my fellow students, I highly urge you to incorporate the PASS kit as a resource at __Your School or Community__ to enhance the wellbeing of students and the mental health culture and conversation. For more information on PASS inc., their website is mypasskit.com, or you can contact Tina@mypasskit.com directly. Sincerely, ___Your Name ___