Mental Health Awareness Month - Supporting the Caring Adults on the Frontlines of Bolstering Youth Mental Health

Opening a Conversation

The morning kicked off with an illuminating panel discussion with panelists Barbara DiGangi (University Settlement), Kelsey Louie (The Door & Broome Street Academy), and Eva Wong (NYC Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health). Wesner Pierre (Partnership with Children) moderated the conversation. 

Some key takeaways from the panel included: 

• Young people are navigating a great deal during a key developmental period of life, and in a world fraught with turbulence, including public health crises, race-based violence, attacks on identity, and overall uncertainty.
• A strengths-based approach to youth mental health includes recognizing and leveraging existing supports and community assets, including peer relationships, recreation and play, and community care.
• Trust-building is a key part of mental health and wellbeing, and afterschool is a key space to bolster these trusting and caring relationships.
• The lack of culturally responsive and representative clinicians is what one panelist termed a "second mental health crisis" - one that several organizations on the panel are responding to directly.
• Collaboration across organizations and across sectors will be key to supporting youth mental health moving forward. 

Building Connections 

For the second half of the event, afterschool educators from across New York City had an opportunity to connect with over 20 youth mental health providers offering a range of services and supports, including individual counseling, virtual support groups, grief groups, curriculum, educator training, and more. 

Resources for the Field

The day was full of new connections, opportunities for collaboration, and resources shared:

• Learn more about the over 20 organizations and programs that shared about their youth mental health resources on this Airtable.
• Check out resources for practitioners and organizations highlighted through the panel discussion and by participants.

Thank you to Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies for generously funding our Building Resilience Initiative, including this Symposium.