By Ketan Tamirisa, SBHA Board Member and Youth Advisory Council member. The following reflects Ketan’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. The air outside turns hazy orange. Wildfire smoke pervades the air, suffocating those who dare to breathe. The air tastes like ash, and smoke quickly starts to rise. What seems like a scene from your … Read more
By Rikhil Ranjit, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Rikhil’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. As teens, we have probably seen more and more students turning to drugs for wide-ranging reasons. Personally, Georgia’s Forsyth County has seen a dramatic growth of high school students turning to the abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and, more … Read more
By Mia Hunter, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Mia’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. When surveying teens’ interaction with social media, my peer recorded that a majority of his surveyed group at my high school found the impact of stress imposed by social media to be paramount to the stress of their … Read more
By Carolyn Camacho, Identity Inc. Program Director The following reflects Carolyn’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Identity’s non-clinical emotional support groups are empowering teens to help themselves and their friends manage difficult emotions. For Sandra, it was life-changing. Arriving from Honduras at the age of 17, Sandra was separated from her mother and younger sister … Read more
By Lauren Metcalf , SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Lauren’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Nearly a third of youth struggled with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This has only increased conversations about the youth mental health crisis. As a teen, hearing … Read more
Created by The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, supported a social media campaign fully created by youth called “#Papaya -Youth Mental Health”. This resource was created by teens for teens to help them understand mental health, know where to get help, and know they are not … Read more
By Jordi Alftine , SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Jordi’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Mental health is crucial to overall well-being, particularly for teenagers and young adults. Unfortunately, mental health issues are increasingly prevalent in this age group, affecting individuals across the globe. The teenage and young adult years are complicated … Read more
By G. Fathima Lye, Former SBHA YAC member and Youth Development Intern “What if my thoughts didn’t have to go so far? What if I could’ve managed my emotions better? What if I had someone to share my experiences with? What if I had accessible resources to get help?” These are a few questions that … Read more
Date: Feb 22, 2021 Author: Baila Salifou, Youth Advisory Council member Content: By Baila Salifou, Youth Advisory Council member Baila is a freshman at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is focused on tackling mental health stigmas and healthcare discrepancies associated with youth in America, as well as youth across the globe. The following … Read more
