Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visits Squirrel Hill: Spotlight on teen mental health initiatives
'When I see this, it's a model of what we should be doing in communities all over the commonwealth'
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis spent hours with people who aren’t voting in the upcoming election. The politician said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Being with teens at a place dedicated to addressing their mental health is imperative, he told the Chronicle during a Sept. 25 visit to The Beacon in Squirrel Hill.
“I see so many young people who are getting an opportunity here to not only develop social skills, but also are developing real life skills for the future,” he said. “When I see this, it’s a model of what we should be doing in communities all over the commonwealth.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Davis toured The Beacon, a teen wellness center operated by the Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh. The politician heard from young adults that the space offers not only free afterschool programming but a place to decompress. He listened to staff about ongoing needs and challenges.
Adolescents ages 12-17 have experienced a greater year-over-year increase in having a major depressive episode than any other age group since 2010, according to an April report from the United Hospital Fund.
There are “alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges” among young adults, the U.S. Surgeon General said in a 2021 mental health advisory. “The challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate.”
Since the height of the pandemic there’s been improvement, but concern remains.
Between 2021 and 2023, the percentage of students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness dropped from 42% to 40%. Similarly, the percent of female students who seriously considered suicide fell from 30% to 27%, according to August data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kaitlin Hans-Greco, clinical director of The Beacon, called the data “overwhelming.”
Teens, parents and community members recognize the crisis, but elected officials need to as well, she said. “They’re the ones who pass budgets that allow funding to trickle down to organizations like The Beacon.”
Davis oversees the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Months ago, PCCD approved $100 million in school safety and mental health grants.
Pittsburgh Public Schools was allocated $528,221 — more than any other district, charter school or career and technical center in Pennsylvania, apart from the School District of Philadelphia.
Investing in young adults is essential, Davis said before referencing another PCCD effort: Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time. In accordance with the state budget, the BOOST program provides $11.5 million toward grants for afterschool and summer programs.
“I know firsthand how important an afterschool program could be as a club kid growing up in McKeesport,” he said.
Numerous legislators do as well.
“This is an issue that has support across the aisle from both Democrats and Republicans,” Davis said. He told the teens their health and safety “shouldn’t be a red issue or a blue issue. It should be an American issue that brings us all together.”
Hearing those comments was reassuring, JFCS President and CEO Jordan Golin told the Chronicle.
“We know that the teen mental health crisis has been growing for years — even before the COVID pandemic — and since the COVID pandemic it’s risen even faster,” he said. “The services available to teens are fewer and far between.”
JFCS oversees UpStreet, a teen mental health program that provides free counseling to individuals aged 12-22.
The value to participants, their families and the community is tremendous, Golin said, but these services often “struggle to find funding. The way to reach teens is through innovative approaches, but innovative approaches don’t have a history of funding streams available through the government to support them.”
Davis’ attention to the issue signals a chance that “we’ll be able to continue providing these services in a sustainable, responsible way and serving more teens,” Golin added.
There’s an “obvious connection” between Davis’ interests in teen mental health and the services afforded in this community, Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh Executive Director Rabbi Mordy Rudolph said. “We have a model that is exemplary and I think can be replicated in other neighborhoods and areas when it comes to really addressing the needs of teens in terms of their mental health.”
Like UpStreet, Friendship Circle is a member of the Teen Mental Health Collaborative. Established in 2020 by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, the collaborative now includes more than 25 organizations. Representatives of those groups — both teens and adults — joined Davis’ visit to The Beacon.
Deborah Murdoch, senior program manager of community health at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, said it was “wonderful” seeing representatives from various neighborhoods, including Hazelwood, Natrona Heights and Squirrel Hill.
“To have all these different communities coming together really committed to the same issue of finding ways to be supportive of youth, and engaging youth in the design and leadership of these efforts, it’s really inspiring,” she said.
Members of the collaborative meet quarterly to discuss best practices, undertake trainings and share “strategies across neighborhoods and communities,” Murdoch said.
JFCS has been involved in the collaborative since 2020 and works closely with other organizations, Golin said; the collaborative and JHF have kept mental health “high on the community’s radar.”
In March 2020, JHF awarded an $80,000 grant to JFCS to develop UpStreet. In September 2021, JHF approved a two-year, $100,000 grant to The Friendship Circle to create The Beacon. During the past four years, JHF has distributed more than $500,000 in grants to organizations within the collaborative.
On Sept. 26, UpStreet welcomed Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23) and Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-30) for a panel with local youth and Collaborative members about needs and challenges regarding young people’s mental health.
Whether during quarterly meetings or special programs highlighting members’ efforts, “we are grateful to learn and see the work that each of them are doing,” Murdoch said.
The appreciation is mutual and extends to multiple parties, but a special thanks goes to the teens themselves, Hans-Greco said.
She praised Davis for coming to The Beacon and demonstrating “interest, energy and enthusiasm,” and added that it’s “incredible to watch our teens lead the tour, show him the different aspects of the space and have his full undivided attention.” When teens occupy this role it’s “empowering,” she continued. “They are the voices that matter.”
Davis stressed that sense of empowerment before leaving The Beacon.
“I want to encourage each and every one of you to keep speaking up and speaking out in our communities,” he said. “Even if you’re too young to vote, know that your voice is powerful. You have a powerful role in our communities to push for change, whether it’s at the ballot box or whether it’s petitioning your elected officials to do the right things in Harrisburg.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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