Mental Health

Five students from three high schools Onslow County participated in the Connecting the Dots: Teen Mental Health First Aid Ambassador’s Retreat in Wilmington June 20-22 at UNC-Wilmington as part of the New River YMCA’s work around supporting teen mental health through the Alliance’s grant. 

The YMCA of the Sandhills hosted a screening of the film Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope and a community storytelling session at its  Saleeby Family YMCA branch earlier this month in collaboration with the Harnett County Partnership for Children, the Resilience Initiative, the Sal

The NC Alliance of YMCAs is proud to announce its participation in Mental Health Awareness Month throughout the month of May. This month is a crucial opportunity to break down stigmas surrounding mental health, promote understanding and provide resources to those in need.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the Y is encouraging community members to care for themselves and others.  Mental health is how we think, feel and act. At the Y, we recognize that we all have mental health, and mental health is an important part of our overall health and social-emotional well-being, as well as a core component of our identity. 

In response to the growing mental health challenges teenagers are facing, the NC Alliance of YMCAs is coordinating a statewide effort aimed at supporting teen mental health.

This month NC YMCAs are applying to the Alliance for funding through June 2026 to expand or launch teen programming with a consistent, intentional and repetitive focus on mental health. Data shows the need for this work is great.

This fall the YMCA of Greensboro launched 500 Fist Bumps—a public health initiative delivered through youth and recreational sports programs—at its Mary Perry Ragsdale Family YMCA; the Y plans to roll the initiative out association wide in 2024.