22 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

Y

outh mental health challenges 
have been on the rise, especially 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
News outlets report that increasingly 
younger children are ending up in 
hospital emergency rooms 
experiencing mental 
health crises. In fact, three 
prominent children’s health 
organizations recently 
declared the rise in youth 
mental illness a national 
emergency.
The local Jewish 
community saw this unfortunate 
challenge coming, and that was the 
reason the We Need to Talk youth mental 
health program was created back in 2017.
“We Need to Talk was developed by 
Federation and its partners in response 
to a 2016 community needs assessment 
that revealed a significant amount of 
our youth were struggling with sadness, 
anxiety and depression,” said Todd 
Krieger, senior planning 
director at Jewish Federation 
and a member of the team 
that developed the program. 
“It was created to raise 
awareness of mental health 
issues in our community, 
reduce stigma and increase 
access to services.”
Four years after its creation, the day-
to-day operations of the program are now 
moving to Jewish Family Service, so the 
program can be more closely aligned with 
a community organization that provides 
formal behavioral health supports. I, a 
clinical social worker, have been hired as 
coordinator of We Need to Talk, and my 
perspective and experience as a youth 
mental professional will help to guide the 

initiative through its next stage. 
I’ve seen firsthand how today’s youth 
are under immense pressure to fit in and 
succeed and often feel challenged to meet 
the high expectations that are set for 
them. But that pressure doesn’t need to 
be debilitating. We’re looking to grow and 
impact more youth in our community by 
providing engaging programming and 
events that help them understand the 
signs of mental illness, strategies to cope 
and the importance of asking for help if 
they are struggling.

TIME TO TRANSITION
“From its inception, Jewish Family 
Service has been an integral part of 
We Need to Talk and an important 
community partner providing training, 
program assistance and formal supports,” 
said Ashley Schnaar, 
former youth mental health 
coordinator who now serves 
as Federation’s planning 
associate. “
As we continue 
to make our way through 
COVID, now is an ideal time 
to transition the program to 
JFS, which is well positioned to continue 
the impactful work that was started and 
even take the program to the next level. 
While the day-to-day operations of the 
program will be leaving Federation, 
we’ll continue to be involved in program 
strategy and play a critical role in 
ensuring the program is properly funded.” 
Perry Ohren, JFS CEO, is 
appreciative to Federation for 
taking on the issue of youth 
mental health. “JFS is a proud 
Federation partner,” Ohren 
said. “We’ll continue to do 
this critical work alongside 

the many other community organizations 
who have been working on this. Together, 
we can help young people learn to 
manage their mental wellness and avoid 
tragic outcomes.”
We Need to Talk has made significant 
progress in addressing its three 
programmatic pillars: awareness, 
knowledge and skills, and access. Since 
its inception, nearly 1,000 community 
professionals have been trained in mental 
health and suicide alertness trainings, 
more than 5,100 community members 
have attended 37 events, and funding 
has been secured for more youth mental 
health professionals, which include social 
workers at Tamarack Camps, school 
social workers at the Jewish day schools 
and yeshivahs, and a child psychiatrist at 
JFS.
“Federation has done a remarkable job 
developing and creating the foundation 
for this initiative and making a real 
impact in our community, said Dini 
Peterson, chief program 
officer at JFS. “We look 
forward to continuing to 
partner with Federation 
and everyone else — from 
synagogues to day schools 
to camps — who have 
dedicated so much time and 
effort to this vital initiative. 
It is critical we ensure our youth’s mental 
health needs are addressed.” 

Julia Cohen, LMSW, is the youth mental health 

coordinator at Jewish Family Service.

Youth mental health program moves from 
Federation to Jewish Family Service.

What’s Next for 
‘We Need to Talk?’

Dini 
Peterson

Todd 
Krieger

Perry 
Ohren

Ashley 
Schnaar

FEDERATION

Julia Cohen
LMSW

