Head Start professionals spend every day supporting children, families, and their communities. Through the National Head Start Association (NHSA), members have access to a resource designed to support their own well-being, too.
The Starling Mental Fitness Program is a confidential, self-guided digital program offering personalized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based support to help individuals build skills for managing stress, anxiety, and burnout.
Get Started with Starling
NHSA members can begin using the program right away:
- Visit nhsa.member.starlingminds.com
- Enter access code: NHSAMEMBER
- Enter your email address and create a password
- Review and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
- Complete your profile information
- Get started!
Family members age 16 and older can participate, too. They can register at the same website using access code NHSAFAMILY.
What Is Starling Mental Fitness?
Starling is designed to make mental health support flexible and accessible. The program can be used on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, allowing participants to access resources whenever and wherever it works for them.
Through Starling, participants can access mental health check-ins, exercises, educational videos, guided training sessions, and a peer community. The program helps users identify thoughts and feelings related to stress, anxiety, or depression while developing practical skills and strategies to better manage their mental health.
As participants work through the sessions, the program adapts to their needs and provides personalized recommendations and insights.
Live Mental Fitness Training for Educators
In addition to the self-guided program, educators can participate in weekly live 30-minute drop-in Mental Fitness Training sessions.
Hosted by CBT psychologist Dr. Andrew Miki and Mental Fitness Coach Tara Achkar, these sessions are designed to help educators prioritize their mental health at the end of the school day.
The live sessions can help participants:
- Develop a deeper understanding of mental health
- Build a personal toolbox of strategies to strengthen mental fitness
- Learn how to use the Starling Mental Fitness Program alongside the live training
Supporting Those Who Support Others
The work of Head Start is centered around caring for others. But supporting children and families also means recognizing the importance of supporting the people who do that work every day.
Whether you’re looking for strategies to manage everyday stress, experiencing burnout, or simply want to strengthen your mental fitness, Starling provides a flexible resource that can fit into your schedule.
We encourage New Jersey Head Start Association members to explore Starling, share the information with their teams, and remind eligible family members that this resource is available to them as well.
Ready to begin?
Visit nhsa.member.starlingminds.com
Member access code: NHSAMEMBER
Family access code: NHSAFAMILY
Questions about the program can be sent to members@starlingminds.com.
New Jersey Head Start Association 