Summer Internship on Mental Health Advocacy Empowers Youth

Fourteen students from Pittsburgh and Allegheny County had a transformative experience this summer through a virtual internship focused on mental health and advocacy. The internship, part of Partner4Work's Learn & Earn Program, was...
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Youth Advocates Ramp Up Action as Summer Begins

The school year may be ending, but the Jewish Healthcare Foundation's (JHF) Youth Advocacy Network members aren't slowing down anytime soon. In June, youth connected with Pennsylvania Representative Sara Innamorato to discuss mental he...
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Youth Advocates Expand Activities for Mental Health Awareness Month

Students from the JHF's Youth Advocacy Network joined their voices to advocate for improved teen mental health resources as part of Pennsylvania's Mental Health Awareness Month. In addition to sharing messages about mental wellness – p...
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Local Teen Mental Health Advocacy and Support Continues as PA Legislation Shows Progress

On April 27, Pennsylvania announced progress on legislation that would improve mental health insurance for residents, including teens. This comes at a time when many teens must face unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic t...
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Youth from 26 School Districts Advocate for Teen Mental Health

"Do you have friends with whom you feel safe talking about mental health? Is there one adult at your school who you feel comfortable going to for support?" asked Bridget Hughes, a student at Winchester Thurston High School. Bridget and...
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Addressing Today’s Teen Challenges through Activism, Calculated Risk, & TikTok

On February 20, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, in partnership with the Jewish Women's Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh, brought adolescent expert and author Sara Pipher Gilliam to Pittsburgh as part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lect...
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Raising Resilient Teens: An expert panel provides perspective and insight

Four renowned teen mental health experts gathered in Squirrel Hill on Sunday, November 3 to share information about fostering resilience in youth, responding to trauma, and identifying mental health risks and warning signs. ​ According...
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Creating a safe space for teen mental health and empowering youth to combat stigma

As a growing number of teens experience mental health problems, this February JHF and community partners launched a neighborhood-based initiative in Squirrel Hill to strengthen the youth mental health safety-net. A core component of th...
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PA Health Funders look for opportunity to work with Wolf Administration

Pennsylvania health and community foundations gathered in Harrisburg on November 6 and 7 for the 13th Annual PA Health Funders Collaborative Conference (PHFC). PHFC is a statewide network of 45 foundations in communities across the Com...
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PA State Representative Anita Kulik hosts an open conversation with students at Montour High School

T he November 8 event was an outgrowth of JHF work led by Deborah Murdoch, JHF Program Manager and coordinator of a youth activist network that involves students in Stand Together – a peer-to-peer initiative of the Allegheny County Dep...
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Teen mental health playbook published

The efforts of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and others to create policy action guidelines for expanding adolescent mental health services came to fruition last month. AcademyHealth published Addressing Teen Mental Health Crises: A ...
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Watch, wait, and wonder: Australia early childhood expert shares best practices, inspiration

Early childhood expert Dr. Michael Zilibowitz brought insight and inspiration to Pittsburgh last week from the exemplary early childhood center he runs near Sydney, Australia. The Dalwood Spilstead Early Years Intervention and Sup...
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JHF’s youth behavioral health team participates in Philadelphia summit

Jewish Healthcare Foundation's teen behavioral health team participated in the Health Care Improvement Foundation's youth behavioral health summit, hosted in partnership with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Departmen...
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Jewish Healthcare Foundation Approves $115K to Support Teen Mental Health and Reduce Maternal Mortality

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation on August 26 approved three grants to extend its efforts in support of adolescent behavioral health and maternal health. The grants support initiatives to engage teens in mental health and mental wellne...
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Teen Mental Health Summit Advances National “Policy Playbook” Effort

JHF, AcademyHealth, and ACT for Health took a big step forward on June 5 to develop a "policy playbook" to mobilize a national effort around teen mental health. The National Summit for Policy and Action on Teen Mental Health Crises in ...
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Pittsburgh’s Collaborative Approach Inspires Charlotte, NC Visitors

Pittsburgh's philanthropic leadership and spirit of collaboration is worth as much attention as its storied sports teams. That's why delegations from several U.S. cities visit each year. Nearly 150 civic and business leaders from the T...
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The United Way’s Bob Nelkin… It will never be goodbye!

Many of us have enjoyed collaborating with Bob Nelkin over the course of our varied careers. Whether it was working on the Home Rule Amendment, the Youth Crime Prevention Council, or the Homeless Task Force, one thing is for sure — his...
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Youth Advocates Visit Legislators in Harrisburg for Mental Health Awareness Day

On May 6th, 19 youth advocates from southwestern Pennsylvania traveled to Harrisburg for Mental Health Awareness Day. The students represented 13 high schools in Allegheny and Beaver Counties, including; Aliquippa, Baldwin, Beaver, Bea...
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Nina Butler Starts Work as Project Coordinator of 15217 Neighborhood-based Teen Mental Health Initiative

Nina Butler, EdD, an educator with extensive experience in the nonprofit world, was named by the Foundation as Project Coordinator for the 15217 Neighborhood-based Teen Mental Health Initiative. She joined the staff on May 1. The initi...
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Teen Mental Health Efforts Underway in Zip Code 15217

The 15217 Neighborhood-based Teen Mental Health Initiative, a joint effort of JHF and other Jewish organizations, is giving rise to events even before the initiative begins its work in earnest. On April 28, the JCC hosted a "Community ...
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