TEEN MENTAL HEALTH COLLABORATIVE

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) manages a Teen Mental Health Collaborative of Allegheny County community-based organizations that serve teens. In 2020, JHF initiated the Collaborative to facilitate opportunities for youth-serving organizations to share their approaches to providing emotional support, connection, and engagement for teens and to learn from one another. In addition, JHF provided the organizations with grants to support their work, totaling $318,000. The youth-driven programs used various approaches, including expressive arts, podcasts, and peer support, to create environments in which teens can build resiliency, leadership skills, and new relationships to guide themselves and others through the pandemic. The Collaborative provides organizations with trainings and opportunities to share program ideas and expertise.