Riot Games Launches Mental Health Programs in Partnership With Take This

Riot Games is working with nonprofit organization Take This to increase its support for mental health in gaming. With conversations on mental health becoming normalized and the stigma around the issues that people face slowly fading away, Riot Games wants to “create better environments for mental health across a wide range of gaming communities.”

Two free curriculums are in the works for content creators and the BIPOC community

Riot Games revealed in its official announcement, “Take This and Riot share a common vision of creating a safe and inclusive environment where all players can feel mentally and physically supported. Riot will provide funding and resources to Take This so we can work to alleviate the mental health crisis.”

Currently, two mental health programs have been planned. The first one which targets streamers and content creators is already available and is for free while the second one, which is also a free program, is being designed for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. It is still in the works and will be available soon on YouTube.

Content Creator Program

This free curriculum will address how streamers can handle the mental health needs of communities and ensure their own well-being at the same time. Topics covered will include: content creator burnout, boundaries, addressing suicidal ideation in your community, intersectionality as a streamer, being a good mental health advocate, and self-care. The program will offer practical and relevant advice to creators.

Part One: https://www.takethis.org/burnout-101/burnout-cc/

BIPOC program

A video series meant for BIPOC communities is in the works . Each panel will be led by a mental health clinician who will be joined by gamers, game makers, and creators who share the same identity. The series will dive into the mental health needs of marginalized people in games and their experiences navigating healthcare systems. The videos will be available to all on TakeThis’ YouTube page.

TakeThisOrg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TakeThisOrg

There are more programs that may be created as a result of the partnership. Riot Games revealed. “Our partnership with Take This will continue to evolve over time as the needs of players, streamers, and content creators change.”