The city of Rochester is rolling out youth mental health initiatives ahead of summer vacation.
The project begins with a community survey that includes questions about factors that influence an individual’s overall well-being. This includes questions such as “Do you feel safe?” at home, school, and neighborhood. “How many times a day do you eat?” “Do you have reliable housing?” Can you stay at least four nights a week?
The goal is to identify and address trends that are negatively impacting the mental health of the city’s teens.
“Once we identify what those areas are, we’ll take that to the next stage,” said Isaac Bliss, manager of youth services for the city’s Department of Recreation and Human Services.
Bliss said the investigation will be conducted over several weeks. The information shared will be used to develop peer-led workshops on key areas of concern based on survey responses. His teens, who are members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, also known as Youth Voice One Vision, will lead these workshops. This council began in his 1996 under a different name: City/County Youth Council.
“We invite our colleagues to take part in this study and join the Youth Mental Health Initiative to ensure that Rochester’s youth are doing their part to improve their own mental health.” says Sarah Adams, an activist and member of the Youth Advisory Council. said in her statement. “The young people of Rochester are talented, we are ambitious, and we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. I urge all young people in our city to rise to the occasion and take care of their mental health. We urge you to recognize the importance of doing so.”
The peer-to-peer mental health program is a partnership between the city government and the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation. Bliss said there will be a soft launch this summer, but a full rollout will be next year.
“This topic is undoubtedly one of the most important conversations our community can have,” Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement. “Our young people have another ray of hope that is helping to shape a brighter future for our community.”
The survey is now publicly available on the City of Rochester’s website. The city encourages teens, parents, recreation center staff and teachers to complete this program.
