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Anxious Times, Growing Concerns

Jewish Federation launches initiative to help youth and families facing mental health issues.

I

n a world of Facebook self-
ies, endless texting, relent-
less academic pressure and
competition for perceived status
among peers, it’s no wonder that
teens and young people across
the country, including those
in Metro Detroit, are suffering
from serious mental health chal-
lenges.

between the ages of 13-18 lives
with a mental health condi-
tion. Additionally, the National
Institute of Mental Health
reports that suicide is now a
leading cause of death in young
people ages 10-24.

Todd Krieger

STUDY REVEALS
TROUBLING TRENDS

In an attempt to better understand
and provide for the health and social
welfare needs of our community, the
Jewish Federation and the Jewish Fund
partnered in late 2016 to develop and
execute a community-wide social ser-
vice needs assessment. While much
of the data from the study confirmed
what we thought to be true, information
gathered about the state of mind of our
teens was troubling:
• More than 50 percent of the youth who
responded to the survey indicated that
they, or their friends, struggle with
anxiety. Just less than half said that
they, or their friends, are struggling
with sadness, depression and low-
esteem.
• While 93 percent of the young people
surveyed said they have a parent or
other adult with whom they can dis-
cuss the things that cause them worry
or stress, a significant number said
they are still struggling with mental
health challenges.
What we’re observing among young
people in Jewish Detroit is not unique.
According to the National Alliance
on Mental Illness, one in five teens

A COMMUNITY
INTERVENTION

“The 2016 Community Study
showing so many of our youth
are in crisis was a wake-up call
to all of us in the community provid-
ing mental health services,” says Perry
Ohren, CEO of Jewish Family Service.
“It forced us to take a hard look at the
programs and services being offered
and think critically about how to best
serve the kids and young adults who are
suffering.”
In response to the study, Federation
assembled a youth mental health work-
group — comprised of agency profes-
sionals, educators, clergy, synagogue
staff and youth group leadership — to
develop a plan to combat the mental
health crisis. Throughout 2017, the
workgroup studied community mental
health models in other countries, con-
sulted with local and national mental
health experts, conducted independent
research and facilitated youth focus
groups.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov from Friendship
Circle, a key stakeholder in the work-
group, noted, “The workgroup has spent
considerable time exploring differ-
ent angles to the youth mental health
problem in its journey toward finding
the best solution for our community.
Everyone has come together in true

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partnership because we know we need
to do more for our kids.”
The workgroup’s efforts have led to
the development of a community-wide
plan that focuses on three pillars: edu-
cation and awareness, training and
interventional support. The plan aims
to:
• Educate and inform community
members of all ages to decrease the
stigma associated with mental illness
so that youth feel comfortable seeking
help.
• Ensure that all professionals who
engage with youth on a regular basis are
trained to identify and intervene with
those who may be suffering and con-
templating suicide.
• Increase the number of medical pro-
fessionals and social workers available
at Jewish Family Service and within the
Jewish day schools to help our kids.
“Imagine changing the conversa-
tions with our kids in our homes, in
their schools and camps, and giving
them the skills to be mentally healthy
— that’s what we’re trying to do,” says
Eric Adelman, executive director of
Kadima. “By changing our perspective
on mental illness, we can teach our kids
coping skills, how to be resilient, how to
deal with stress and failure, and how to
thrive.”
The community is already coming
together in support of Federation’s
efforts to combat Jewish Detroit’s youth
mental health crisis:
• Susie and Norman Pappas have desig-
nated a generous portion of their 2018
Jewish Federation Challenge Fund gift
to Federation’s overall youth mental
health efforts.

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• The Jewish Fund has approved fund-
ing for the training component of the
workgroup’s plan described above.
Dollars will be provided to train more
than 850 community professionals
who regularly engage with youth.
• The Alfred and Bernice Deutsch
Millennium Fund has provided fund-
ing for Julie Fisher, M.Ed., to help
Jewish day schools develop custom-
ized mental health-related program-
ming plans for both students and
parents.
• The Hermelin-Davidson Center for
Congregational Excellence has pro-
vided funding for rabbi and child psy-
chiatrist Jeremy Baruch to develop a
mental health enhancement program
that clergy can integrate into their
existing b’nai mitzvah processes. •

Todd Krieger is senior director, Planning & Agency
Relations at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. If you have questions about Federation’s
youth mental health efforts, contact him at
krieger@jfmd.org.

CRISIS SUPPORT

If you are a parent and need counseling
for a child who is experiencing anxiety,
depression or sadness, contact Jewish
Family Service at (248) 592-2313.
If you or a loved one is contemplat-
ing suicide and need immediate help,
contact Common Ground at 1-800-231-
1127 or the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
If you are a young person looking for
immediate help and feel most comfort-
able texting, contact the Crisis Text Line
by texting HOME to 741741.

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February 1 • 2018

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