We need to talk. About how a young person is dealing with an eating disorder. About how to parent a child with bipolar disorder. About what steps youth need to take to heal from mental health struggles.
After a needs assessment in 2016 revealed almost half of all young adults interviewed said they or someone they know struggle with mental health such as sadness, anxiety and/or depression, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit (Jewish Federation) knew something had to be done.
We Need to Talk (WN2T) is a community-wide youth mental health initiative aimed at increasing awareness of mental illness, reducing stigma, and improving access to services. The program, which was established and is managed by the Jewish Federation, officially launched in 2020. Since then, the need for the advocacy campaign has been magnified by the pandemic.
Over the past two years, with $100,000 in grant funding from The Children’s Foundation, Jewish Federation created the WN2T video series which shares the stories of courageous young people and their families, as well as professionals, talking about various topics in mental health. The goal is to reduce stigma associated with youth mental health – to show youth they are not alone and that struggles with mental health are common.
Since 2020, nearly 30 videos have been made, and through the power of engagement on social media, countless youth have been impacted by their honest, poignant, and revealing messaging.
For more information about WN2T and the complete video series, click here.
