Youth First STAY Mindful

Working with the team at the Youth First Program with the Resource Center has been so rewarding and has brought so much joy! 

I facilitate the monthly Suicide Prevention Group or STAY Mindful. A group that empowers youth to take care of and learn about their mental health as well as what to do when they need help. We not only explore their thoughts and feelings but we discuss realistic coping strategies that can contribute to a positive mental wellness. The many challenges that these youth are facing... Bullying, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, and a host of other concerns continue to make the need for quality programming available for queer youth in particular a priority that we can not ignore. 

The youth are so welcoming and thrilled to learn more about their mental health and ways to ensure they can maintain positive mental health. With it being suicide prevention month, I find it timely that North Texas Giving Day is available. There are limited resources available for queer people in our community and the Resource Center provides SO MUCH and continues to need our support to ensure they can meet the needs of youth and families. 

It has been so rewarding getting to know the many different youth throughout my time with Youth First. I am also blown away by the insight they offer each other and the compassion they have for getting support not only for themselves but for their peers who may not be able to attend programming at Youth First. I remember one session in particular when we were having a heavier discussion about what mental health means to them and how they would describe it. I had them draw a picture... first, ya'll the pictures that were created were so powerful! One in particular that was shared was an image of a group of people who were sort of gathered together engaging in everyday life but one of the people (which represented the youth who drew it) had a giant dark hand reaching down to cover them. That image stays with me because it was such a powerful way to begin to talk about what it feels like to be struggling with your mental health, and just by looking at this youth, I would have never imagined the turmoil they felt and thought. This is why I got into social work, to assist people dealing with things that are sometimes bigger than we can handle by ourselves. I am so thankful for the work that Youth First is doing. 

As this month you are going to be saturated with giving requests and trying to determine which deserving nonprofit to give to please consider making a contribution to The Resource Center in honor of the Youth First program and the work we are all doing to prevent suicide and make a positive impact in the lives of youth who are going through A LOT of uncertainty right now. 

It would mean the world to me personally and I know so many others. Thank you