CORRECTING and REPLACING PHOTO Boys & Girls Clubs of America Teams Up with Influential Partners to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis
13 May 2024 - 10:19PM
Business Wire
With support from partners like Kohl’s, Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Companies and others, Boys & Girls Club
kids, teens and staff gain access to key mental health training and
resources.
Please replace the photo with the accompanying corrected
photo.
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To ensure youth have a safe place to
receive the support they need, many Boys & Girls Clubs across
the nation are equipped with resources such as sensory learning
rooms, support groups, therapy animals and in some cases, dedicated
mental health professionals. (Photo: Boys & Girls Clubs of
America)
The release reads:
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA TEAMS UP
WITH INFLUENTIAL PARTNERS TO ADDRESS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS
With support from partners like Kohl’s, Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Companies and others, Boys & Girls Club
kids, teens and staff gain access to key mental health training and
resources.
As one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations,
Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to equipping young
people with skills and experiences that lead to positive outcomes.
Understanding the critical role mental and emotional health plays
in the overall well-being of young people, this Mental Health
Awareness Month and beyond, the organization is proud to
collaborate with key partners to ensure more kids and teens have
the support and resources they need to address life’s challenges
and reach their full potential.
According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services,
2 out of 3 young people have experienced at least one traumatic
event by the age of 16, making them more prone to negative outcomes
in life such as academic challenges, behavioral issues, physical
health conditions, mental health concerns, substance misuse,
suicide ideation, relationship problems, incarceration and
more.
Underscoring this in today’s youth, Boys & Girls Clubs of
America’s 2023 Youth Right Now survey, which surveys more than
100,000 kids and teens annually, found that 70% of youth report
that they can’t stop worrying when something goes wrong in their
life.
To ensure youth have a safe place to receive the support they
need, many Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation are equipped
with resources such as sensory learning rooms, support groups,
therapy animals and in some cases, dedicated mental health
professionals. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is also working,
in partnership with Kohl’s and Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Companies, to enhance Boys & Girls Clubs services and
programming to support the complex social and emotional needs of
young people and to scale trauma-informed trainings for Club staff
members.
“One of the most crucial ways Boys & Girls Clubs support the
mental and emotional needs of young people is by recognizing and
acknowledging that, for some, childhood trauma may be a part of
their experience,” said Dr. Jennifer Bateman, senior vice president
of Youth Development at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
“Our role goes beyond listening to what our kids and teens are
struggling with – it’s about ensuring caregivers and Club
professionals understand the impact trauma can have and that
they’re equipped to help kids feel safe, heard and supported on a
path to lifelong healing and a positive future.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has also been intentional
about engaging experts and partners that support and prioritize
youth mental health. Collaboratively through these partnerships,
Boys & Girls Clubs of America continue to strengthen the
capabilities of its Club staff to build emotionally safe and
inclusive spaces for all young people. These partnerships
include:
- Kohl’s, through Kohl’s Cares, supports the development
and delivery of trauma-informed training for Boys & Girls Club
staff, providing them with the skills to implement trauma-informed
practices through formal and informal learning experiences with
youth.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies are collectively
helping to scale trauma-informed practices to Boys & Girls
Clubs across the country, fortifying crucial resources for staff to
better support youth mental wellness.
- Planet Fitness, through its Judgement Free Generation®
initiative, focuses on bullying prevention and creating inclusive
cultures and communities. Their support includes trauma-informed
care training for Boys & Girls Clubs staff, scholarships,
community grants, and equipping Clubs nationwide with gyms
designated as Mini Judgement Free Zones®.
- Buffalo Wild Wings has funded the ALL STARS program
since 2013, which continues to ensure coaches have the resources
and training to support the mental and physical needs of young
people on and off the field.
- New York Life Foundation has partnered with Boys &
Girls Clubs of America for over 30 years, supporting Be There, an
approach to build awareness, skills, partnerships and family
engagement to ensure Clubs are well equipped to help youth navigate
loss and build resilience when facing loss and grief.
Other key supporters include Aarons, ALDI, The California
Endowment, the Cencora Impact Foundation, The Cigna Group
Foundation, Dove, Kimberly-Clark Foundation, Nationwide Children's
Hospital, Pinterest, RBC Foundation USA, RiteAid Healthy Futures,
The Starbucks Foundation, Trauma-Free World and Unilever.
To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America, its
partnerships and its commitment to improving the mental health of
today’s young people, visit Kids & Mental Health - Boys &
Girls Clubs of America (bgca.org).
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to
learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and
friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily
basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs
programming promotes academic success, good character and
leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,400 Clubs serve more
than 3 million young people through Club membership and community
outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on
Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in
BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations
worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn
more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and
X.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513301336/en/
Eliza Lynch, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Director of
Public Relations elynch@bgca.org 203.522.7010