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For many people, the beginning of a new year inspires us to reflect on the previous year and set a goal or resolution for the upcoming year. For the oldest Gen Zers, many are setting a goal to improve their mental health in 2023. A recent Forbes Health poll found that 50 percent of adults aged 18-25 cited improved mental health as their top new year’s resolution. Their commitment to mental health eclipsed their desire to improve fitness (49%), improve their diet (33%) and lose weight (31%).

Children who come to Robert’s Place Emergency Shelter are experiencing some of the most difficult moments in their young lives. That anxiety, trauma and fear can make it difficult for a child to open up to another new adult. But the staff at Robert’s Place makes it their goal to provide a safe space for healing. 

“I often say to my team ‘we have 72 hours to plant a seed of positivity,’” says Chanda Wright, Robert’s Place Manager.

As children head back to school for the spring semester, the U.S. Surgeon General is warning of a national youth mental health crisis. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last month urging all of us to take action to address the mental health needs of young people.

Language and cultural barriers can sometimes serve as a deterrent to seeking out mental health services. A new project at PACES, called Paso a Paso (Step by Step), is working to reduce those barriers for the Hispanic and Latinx communities in Wyandotte County one step at a time.

When it comes to treating mental health conditions in children, the focus is typically almost solely on treating the child and responding to their needs. However, PACES is among a growing group of community mental health centers that are working to change that. More and more mental health providers are adopting a family-driven approach.