This article discusses mental health. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, call or text 9-8-8 for 988 Lifeline’s 24-hour hotline. The hotline will not automatically call the police or emergency services.
Youth in crisis can text 8-3-9-8-6-3 or call 800-852-8336 to access Teen Line, an anonymous hotline that provides trained peer-to-peer support for youth.
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Autumn Guimont, an 18-year-old counselor at the Saleeby Family Branch YMCA in Cameron, understands why the United States is in a youth mental health crisis.
The Covid-19 pandemic that forced schools to switch to online learning in 2020 deeply affected young people, Guimont said, who was in middle school at the time. Social media and fears of being judged are also factors. And one of the biggest contributors, according to Guimonth, is parents and other adults who don’t take children’s mental health seriously.
“If teens are already feeling the way that they do and then they’re trying to go to adults that they should be able to go to, like their parents, and they’re getting shut down, it’s just making it so much worse,” Guimont said.
The NC Alliance of YMCAs, a nonprofit supporting the state’s 28 YMCA associations, is creating and bolstering youth programs that teach kids how to talk about mental health, self confidence and leadership. The work is funded by a two-year, $3.75 million grant from the North Carolina General Assembly that began in March 2024.
The alliance is asking state lawmakers to once again provide the same level of funding. It is included in the state House budget that passed last week. Michele McKinley, director of communications and grant administrator for the group, is keeping her fingers crossed it will survive budget negotiations between the House and Senate next month.
“We’re hoping that it gets funded again, because this is not something you solve in two years,” McKinley said. “It takes more time, especially normalizing conversation around mental health, and the idea that mental health is just part of our physical health.”
The alliance says it has trained 455 staff members in youth mental health first aid, which includes techniques to help young people who are struggling with mental health disorders.
Earlier this month, the alliance launched the latest version of its Teen Mental Health Resource Hub, an online collection of resources to help teens learn about mental health.
“There’s a lot of focus on access to the actual care, the state is working a lot on that, but we haven’t seen as much around the destigmatization piece of it and normalizing conversation around it, so that’s part of our effort,” McKinley said.
The program began in 2022 at the Charlotte YMCA; a new version with a refreshed interface marked National Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
Users are greeted with a simple, emoji-based quiz asking how they’re feeling. A popup window provides specific tips to help navigate the selected emotion.
A second, 10-question quiz asks youth about their “mental health style.” It suggests ways to improve potentially harmful coping mechanisms like relying on entertainment to distract from negative emotions. Other resource pages focus on self-care and navigating home life situations that impact mental health.
“It’s designed to be meeting them where they are, finding them online where they are,” McKinley said. “It’s assuring them that what they’re feeling is OK, that help is always available and that there are resources.”
As part of the state grant, each YMCA received $150,000 to improve local children’s mental health. The YMCA of the Sandhills, which has locations in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Cameron, is using its share to expand the Get Summer program, which provides free membership to youth ages 12 to 18 in June, July and August. This year, up to 75 free youth memberships are available.
“We want kids to know that they can go somewhere and not have to pay to be a part of the community,” said Chealsea Sias, youth development director for the YMCA of the Sandhills.
Guimont said the program offers youth a much needed space to hang out and make friends outside of school. Membership allows access to the gym, activities, and a community space with computers and a pool table.
“It’s really refreshing to have a new and a different place to be at, besides the two — home and school — that we see every day,” Guimont said.
The YMCA of the Sandhills is also using the state funding to bolster its mentorship programs, including the Counselor in Training (CIT) and Leader in Training (LIT) programs. The programs put kids between the ages of 12 and 15 in charge of younger day camp attendees in an effort to build leadership skills. The programs also provide financial education and help with resumes, and connect participants with mentors in careers fields they’re interested in.
Daxter, a 15-year-old after-school counselor at the Saleeby Family Branch YMCA, said the programs have made him a leader ready to help others.
“I have noticed when kids are having bad days, or when my classmates and peers are having bad days, and I will check up on them and help them out,” said Daxter, who asked to be identified by his first name only to maintain his privacy.
While the YMCA of the Sandhills’ programs don’t always directly address youth mental health, Sias said they help young people realize they are loved by members in the community.
“Ideally,” Sias said, “these trainings open up spaces where they feel like they belong.”
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville.