The World Health Organization found the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, with youths being the most severely impacted. In the years following, youth mental health has still not returned to normal levels.
That’s why community rec organizations like the YMCA of the Sandhills in North Carolina and JCC Chicago are prioritizing funding and programming to assist this growing problem.
“Addressing youth mental wellness is not optional — children and families need the support and recreation, and community centers are where they are going,” said Addie Goodman, the president and CEO of Chicago JCC. “While critical, it’s also expensive. Luckily, collecting data around touchpoints, intervention and referrals can help agencies secure philanthropic funding.”
Here’s how JCC Chicago and the YMCA of the Sandhills are trying to improve youth mental health in those communities:
JCC Chicago
JCC Chicago long had an internal Social Services team comprised of full-time licensed social workers who support the J’s early childhood centers. In more recent years, Goodman said this also applies to day camps and teen programs.
“Our seasonal mental health team, inclusive of social workers and community care specialists, is integrated into both day and overnight camps,” said Goodman. “This ensures that every camper is able to participate and be successful in our summer programs. We know children thrive when they know what to expect, can count on routines and feel supported.”
To help ensure this, the J has what Goodman calls “wrap-around support” which is the framework fund activities is layered upon.
“We can meet children where they are as individuals while ensuring they’re part of their broader school and camp communities,” said Goodman. “Through this philosophical approach and financial investment, children able to fully participate and complete their program has risen to greater than 99% among our 6,500 children in early childhood and camping.”
The J follows the philosophy of “for teens, by teens.” To steward this work at a leadership level, the team developed a Teen Mental Health Committee that meets with a full-time Social Services team member. They deploy resources and programming within the J’s agency as well in partnership with local youth groups and schools.
YMCA of the Sandhills
The NC Alliance of YMCAs bolstered youth programs that teach kids how to talk about mental health, self confidence and leadership. This work was funded by a two-year, $3.75 million grant from the North Carolina General Assembly in March 2024
YMCA of the Sandhills is using its share to expand its Get Summer program, which provided free membership to ages 12 to 18 this summer.
Chealsea Sias, the youth development director of the YMCA of the Sandhills, said the Y’s top programming strategies make services easily accessible and curate a welcoming environment.
“We’ve had the most success in creating a variety of partnerships with professionals,” said Sias. “This work is not something that can be done by just one entity. In order to ensure sustainability, we need to lean on other organizations and partners.”
She said the reactions from younger members to the organization’s strides in youth mental health have been mostly filled with excitement.
“We thread in peer-to-peer mental health skills into our leadership programs so teens can leave our care feeling more confident that they can support their friends,” said Sias. “We have a group of 10 and 11-year-olds who named themselves pre-LIT’s ( leaders in training). This showed us our youth respond very well to not only learning life skills, but to challenging themselves.”
Sias said the Y wants to destigmatize mental health struggles, as asking for help should be non-intrusive for youth.
“We also offer opportunities like financial literacy education, stress management and active listening skills, CPR certifications, and service hours to ensure teens have education and confidence in navigating life’s challenges,” she said. “It may be an adjustment at the beginning, but we’ve been able to integrate mental health awareness in our everyday language.”
