As the school year winds down, Jewish Family Services’ (JFS) YouBeYou program is already making plans for the fall.
Fifteen schools in both Jackson and Johnson Counties participated in YouBeYou, a school-based program focusing on mental health and wellness for Kansas City youth. YouBeYou was created in response to the rising suicide rates among teens and seeks to spread the message of self-acceptance.
YouBeYou was developed by JFS and Bernstein-Rein Advertising in collaboration with the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition that is housed at JFS. The YouBeYou program is in its sixth year. JFS provides staffing for the program and visits participating middle and high schools to provide mental health and wellness education, community resources, and adult and youth training and support.
Sondra Wallace, JFS’ director of mental health programs, has been responsible for the program’s growth over the last few years, cultivating relationships with students and staff. Earlier this school year, Wallace “passed the torch” to Wendy Anderson, JFS therapist and community mental health educator. Anderson has been working on connecting with participating schools and planting the seeds to further expand the program in the metro area.
With Wallace as her mentor, and experience with previous school-based therapy, Anderson has put renewed energy into the program. Anderson works with area schools, helping to guide students and staff with mental health campaigns. From ideas like mental health awareness,bullying prevention, LGBTQ+ support groups and healthy peer and adult relationships, participating schools are coming up with amazing ways to connect and really make a difference in their school communities.
“It is so much fun to see what students and staff create, and I am learning so much along the way,” Anderson said. “At Turner High School, campaigns included monthly awareness projects, such as New Year’s goals in January, Valentine’s Day self-awareness surveys, and ‘Mental Health is Key’ for March.”
A variety of YouBeYou branded-items, including buttons, t-shirts and posters, are used to help engage students in the campaign and spread the importance of mental health among students and staff. This year, at Fort Osage High School, students and staff created a Thanksgiving gratitude project campaign. A “Fort Support” effort focused on mental health and positivity, and this spring’s “Stressless” effort focused on ways to lessen stress around finals time.
“We have several trusted adults working to support the efforts of the campaigns, but at the crux of it all, it is really a peer-to-peer initiative,” Anderson said. “Students speak to students with more real grit and confidence than they often do with an adult.”
With this school year drawing to a close, Anderson and Wallace are meeting with participating YouBeYou schools to share ideas, successes, and outcomes.
“It’s exciting to hear what everyone has accomplished and share their stories to help motivate and create,” Anderson said. “This useful feedback will help us as we start preparing for the next school year. We can’t wait to see what comes next.”
More information about the YouBeYou program is available at jfskc.org/youbeyou, by emailing Anderson at , or by visiting the YouBeYou blog at youbeyou.us.