The country's youth are facing a mental health crisis. Here's how Sarasota helps.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – and now, more than ever, young people need care. Nationwide, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed among teens due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Medical professionals considered it a crisis.

One in five young adults has experienced mental health challenges in the past year, and more than a third of high school students have reported poor mental health during the past school year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. This has led to academic slippage – an average student is four months behind in math and five months behind in reading.

Not to mention, the nation’s hospital emergency rooms are crammed with suicidal youth waiting to be accepted into the already overcrowded inpatient programs. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, mental health emergency department visits increased 24 percent for children ages 5-11 and 31 percent for ages 12-17 in the months from March to October 2020.

The Biden-Harris administration’s US bailout provides a significant financial investment to expand access to mental health services, some of which include more behavioral health care workers, a “988” national hotline to call in times of trouble, and a national certification program for peer professionals.

In our society, peer support – specifically children helping children – has been an integral part of healing. A national organization, Youth Move National, has just opened a chapter in Sarasota Manatee called Youth Move Suncoast, hosted by the Sarasota-Manatee chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

So far, eight peer professionals have been trained from high school and university students and are ready to help their young colleagues aged 14 to 29. Five to 20 teenagers appear in each group or activity.

“Our philosophy is that if there are young people who want to participate, foster communication with others and have a skill that they love and want to share, we make space for them,” says Sarah Miller, NAMI Family Navigator. “We always work within a platform to increase emotional and social wellness.”

In addition to weekly online and in-person support groups, such as boxing, yoga, gardening, and painting, all led by peer professionals, there are also one-on-one session opportunities. Wild Ginger Apothecary, a local comprehensive center, has also partnered with Youth Move Suncoast to offer meditation classes.

“All the events were based on meditation, including our May 17 event on past life regression, because we believe it is one of the most effective ways our guests can reduce stress, anxiety, and more,” says Wild Ginger’s. Xianelle Faberlle. “We learn to release emotions, thoughts, and things into life that no longer serve us.”

While Wild Ginger classes will be suspended until the fall, Miller said many of the young people in the program felt these unconventional oriental methods were supportive of their well-being.

“NAMI believes there are multiple ways to recover, so when four chapters of Wild Ginger were donated to the organization, we couldn’t miss it,” Miller explains. “We are open to partnering with any organization that wishes to help advance mental health and wellness support for youth and young adults.”

If you are a high school or college student interested in becoming a peer support professional, you can apply through Youth Move National. Vanessa Miller, who studies psychology, and Katie Booth, who studies behavioral health care and gender studies, participate in the program and specialize in harm reduction and youth advocacy. If higher care is required for a program attendee, they will help recommend therapists and outpatient or inpatient programs.

This month, Youth Move Suncoast hosted an event at the Boys & Girls Mental Health Club on May 7. Upcoming events include virtual open mic nights, an introduction to tapping and restorative yoga on Instagram Live. For a list of upcoming events, click here.

NAMI Sarasota-Manatee is located at 2911 Fruitville Rd. , Sarasota. For more information click here, call (941) 376-0206 or email Sarah Miller at [email protected].