Summer Fund: Youth Mental Health in Summer Programs

Youth mental health is a perennial problem for summer enrichment programs, as staff must navigate challenges including conflict resolution, behavior management, hiring clinical staff, and securing funding for mental health initiatives. This session, facilitated by Summer Fund staff with featured guest speakers from the youth enrichment and clinical spaces, will provide attendees with language, resources, techniques, and access to expertise as they plan their summer programming in the context of this ongoing crisis.

The event will consist of a brief overview of the Summer Fund's Mental Health Grant program, as well as a panel discussion featuring Summer Fund partners, who will share insights into their approaches to youth mental and behavioral health work. In addition to these panelists’ sharing from a programmatic lens, a mental health clinician will also share their perspective as a practitioner.

Time will also be made for conversations between Summer Fund partners, with opportunities to discuss best practices and strategies when it comes to youth mental health, and to touch on program-specific challenges including hiring clinicians, incorporating social-emotional learning into programs, encouraging staff well-being, and more.

Summer Fund Partner Panelists:

• Victoria Garcia, Health and Wellness Manager, Sociedad Latina
  
• Arielle Romain, Director of Health Equity & Community Wellness, Mothers for Justice and Equality
• Ini Udofia, Director of Community Health and Wellbeing, West End House