​
​
Why Youth Mental Health Matters
Mental health challenges are the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people. Unfortunately, in recent years, we’ve seen significant increases in certain mental health disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Many factors shape the mental health of young people, from individual to societal level forces.
Youth Mentoring is an after-school program that focuses on building relationships between youth and caring adults who serve as role models. The goal of this program is to prevent decisions which can lead to problems within families, school, or the juvenile justice system. Mentors lead weekly group sessions that enhance youth character development, develop leadership, build self-esteem, and teach positive conflict resolution. Our mentoring program is open to all youth aged 8 – 17 residing in or attending school within the community.
Youth enrolled in group mentoring also have the opportunity to participate in Youth Leadership Development (YLD) monthly sessions. YLD provides participants with the opportunity to develop strong and effective leadership skills by using skill building activities to promote self-esteem, empowerment, conflict resolution, communication skills, goal setting, and academic skills.
​