May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Jewish Family Services has been working to shift the paradigm for teens through its YouBeYou program.
During the current school year, JFS has been working with 16 schools in the Kansas City metro with its YouBeYou program.
Started in 2017 as a partnership with Bernstein-Rein, the YouBeYou program today is focused on reaching teens with a positive message of self-worth and value and reinforcing the idea that one doesn’t need to be perfect – being themself is good enough.
The YouBeYou program has given students a platform to promote conversations about the importance of understanding and strengthening our mental health. It provides intentional resources for students and schools that support mental health.
YouBeYou uses Sources of Strength, a comprehensive wellness approach to coping with day-to-day stressors and preventing suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse for youth and adults through connection, hope, help and strength. Sources of Strength is designed to develop and promote eight distinct areas where support comes from and to help develop behaviors encouraging positive social interactions.
“This approach works to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy behaviors with the goal, ultimately, to prevent suicide, bullying and substance abuse,” said Sondra Wallace, JFS Director of Mental Health Programs and overseer of the YouBeYou Program and the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition housed at JFS. “Our teens and young adults are using their voice to share that everyone has mental health.”
YouBeYou schools receive training by Wallace upon request.
The YouBeYou program also provides students with items chosen intentionally to reinforce the positive messaging of the program. Students receive YouBeYou branded items including frisbees (go outside and play with a friend), tumbler cup (drink more water), mints (help with focus) and journals (space for reflection and gratitude).
Under Wallace’s direction, more than 20 schools (K-12) — including four YouBeYou schools — participated this year in Sources of Strength training with over 500 participants. JFS has also provided therapeutic counseling for a few YouBeYou schools, including Fort Osage High School. Providing counseling services has allowed students to receive the services they need without additional barriers such as transportation, placement, time or access. Fort Osage students have been active in the YouBeYou program, hosting a mental health event this month with spirit days for students and positive messages during morning announcements.
While this school year is winding down, Wallace said JFS is looking for additional schools to participate in the YouBeYou program. For more information, please visit youbeyou.us or email .
Schools participating in the JFS YouBeYou Program
Missouri: Blue Springs High School, Blue Springs South High School, Blue Springs-Valley View Alternative, Brookside Charter, Fort Osage High School, Grandview High School, Lee’s Summit High School, University Academy and Liberty North High School.
Kansas: Blue Valley Southwest High School, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, California Trail Middle School, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Turner High School, and Turner Middle School and Turner Journeys Choice School.