By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
When talking about gaps in mental health services, the solution often sounds simple: add more providers. But numbers alone do not guarantee kids who need help will get it.
Care must be accessible—but it must also be grounded in trust, cultural understanding, and accountability. For Black youth in Detroit, the difference between being referred and being truly supported can shape their entire future.
For more than 20 years, The Yunion has supported youth and families across Detroit through trusted, community-driven programs. Founded in 2003, the nonprofit provides mentoring, job and life skills training, and prevention services focused on teen pregnancy, HIV/STDs, substance use, and mental health—serving approximately 1,500 young people each year.
As The Yunion works across Wayne County schools and neighborhoods, they observed that strengthening mental health access has become an urgent priority.
Responding to a mental health crisis
In recent years, The Yunion and its partners have observed rising levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional distress among students. Research mirrors these trends: 60% of youth experience trauma, increasing their risk for PTSD, anxiety disorders, or other mental health challenges. At the same time, Black youth face disproportionately higher rates of death by suicide.
These realities did not happen in a vacuum. Decades of disinvestment, economic instability, limited healthcare access, and under-resourced schools have increased stress in many Black communities.
Even when families seek help, the path to care can be difficult. Families often must navigate barriers such as:
- Insurance paperwork that delays treatment
- Transportation challenges that disrupt appointments
- Long waitlists
- Referral systems that lack cultural understanding
Effective care requires more than availability—it requires responsiveness. When services are responsive and timely, trust deepens, leading to better outcomes.
Building a system that follows through
To address these challenges, The Yunion is one of six grantees in the Leadership for Mental Health Project (LMHP), a collaborative initiative supporting Detroit-based community organizations. Through this effort, The Yunion is expanding its mental health infrastructure across three charter schools, one Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) high school, and two DPSCD middle schools.
A cornerstone of this work is the development of a closed-loop mental health referral system. Traditional referral processes often end with a phone number or recommendation. A closed-loop system ensures accountability: when a student is referred for services, the referral is tracked from start to finish. Providers confirm whether services were delivered, declined, or delayed — creating a complete circle that ensures students get the services they need, rather than a disconnected handoff.
This enhanced referral system is made possible through a $150,000 two-year grant from the Children’s Foundation of Michigan, $75,000 annually beginning January 1, 2025. Grant funding is the sole source of support for developing and testing this model.
Midway through the first year of implementation:
- 155 youth have been screened for mental health needs
- 30 youth have been referred for mental health services
- Partnerships have been established with Detroit-based clinical providers specializing in culturally competent youth care.
The Yunion is also working closely with families who need additional support navigating intake, insurance, or transportation challenges. By strengthening follow-up protocols and expanding its referral network, the organization is addressing insurance and access barriers in real time.
Through the Foundation’s participation in LMHP collaborative, we are aligning our resources with other funding partners and, as a result, catalyzing impact for the Yunion. Our support is empowering a community-informed solution to a major mental health issue facing young Black people.
Learn more about Collaboratives, here.
Moving toward healthier futures
This is not simply about increasing services. It is about strengthening systems so that young people receive care that is consistent, culturally responsive, and sustained. At its heart, The Yunion’s work ensures that Black youth have access not only to mental health support—but to support that recognizes who they are, where they come from, and what they need to thrive.
