To provide valuable resources surrounding mental health for adolescents, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte introduced the Teen Mental Health Resource Hub. Pamela Hempstead, the association director of mental health, said the resource is meant to help teenagers through whatever they may be experiencing while providing reliable and legitimate information.
“Teenagers are at such a pivotal point in life,” said Hempstead. “They’re in a middle space between coming out of childhood and heading toward adulthood. Their bodies are changing, and a lot is going on in their communities. The YMCA is where people come for respite, to develop relationships and be with like-minded people. Why not create a specific space for them?”
The Y identified the need for this type of resource after seeing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on teenagers. Hempstead noted the elevated levels of depression, anxiety and suicide.
Curating and Sharing the Content
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte worked with a marketing agency to gather the content. This choice ensured a diverse perspective was addressed in the creation of the resource. Focus groups of teens were also involved and provided feedback that affected the final product.
Depending on what users may be struggling with or want more information on, they can be led to different YMCA services, government agencies or recommended actions. Information is also updated when needed with new resources added.
The Y is also bringing the discussion offline by promoting these issues in person. For example, locker rooms have graphics about body dysmorphia and how to support those facing it, and on raising awareness around 988, the national suicide and crisis lifeline.
“We keep the initiative alive by doing a bunch of different things,” explained Hempstead. “We want adults to walk into these spaces, see these cards with information and pictures. They’ll know teens are in this space, and teenagers know we see them and are here to support them.”
To promote teen mental health even further, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte shared the resource with the North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs (NC YMCAs). Ys across the state can now access and share the resource on the NC YMCAs’ website.
“There are a variety of associations within North Carolina that want to serve teens and may not have the same resources,” said Hempstead. “Sharing truly is caring. As association director of Mental Health and a licensed therapist, I assist all our centers with creating programming, connecting to resources and educating to destigmatize mental health.”
Other Methods of Empowerment
The Teen Mental Health Resource Hub is one way the YMCA of Greater Charlotte is looking to give a platform for adolescent voices in the community. The Y is also helping produce a podcast with teens interviewing, speaking and creating an episode.
The podcast will be released later this year. Two episodes about healthy and abusive relationships have already been recorded in the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s Best Buy Teen Tech Center. Hempstead will be working with teens to determine other topics with five to eight episodes to start with.
Other initiatives include educating teen employees at the YMCA about mental health and making sure they feel appreciated for their hard work. Hempstead noted the power of social media to showcase the Y’s dedication to empowering teens in the community. “My hope is when teens see what we’re doing on social media, it will pique their curiosity,” she said. “It will cause them to look at our website and want to know more about the Y and realize we’re here for them.”
Overall, Hempstead emphasized how these initiatives play into the YMCA’s mission to improve all aspects of health for the entire community. Especially for a group like teenagers who are often overlooked, these resources are having a great impact on the community.
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