New program created to support teen mental health

CHICO » Thrive, an initiative from the North Valley Community Foundation, is launching a program aimed at providing support to teens contemplating suicide or experiencing mental health struggles.

The new program is called the Community, Assessment, Response and Education Team. The team will work to provide support to youth or families when a young person is suicidal, has attempted suicide or has taken their life by suicide.

Thrive Program Director Danelle Campbell said the CARE Team is an example of community organizing at its best.

“Last spring, community members expressed their concerns about the youth in Butte County who are struggling with mental health issues and suicide. They identified the need to strengthen the ability to respond quickly, consistently and effectively in the most serious situations,” Campbell said in a news release Monday. “In a matter of a few short weeks, the CARE Team vision was created, a primary and secondary clinical lead were identified and a team of amazing community healers, the CARE Team coaches, were selected. And now we are ready to launch and respond to the youth and families in our community.”

In order to activate the CARE Team, anyone can call the number which the NVCF said means “self-referrals, family members, teachers, administrators, first responders, caregivers, staff of youth-serving organizations, peers or friends” can reach out. Additionally, the support of the CARE Team is entirely free.

In order to weigh community needs, Thrive conducted focus groups which revealed 76 percent of high schoolers report knowing someone who is struggling with mental illness. The California Healthy Kids survey reported that in Butte County, 38 percent of 11th-graders and 30 percent of seventh-graders reported they had seriously considered attempting suicide.

Suicide is the secondleading cause of death nationally in people ages 1024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first is unintentional injury.

“Not only will the CARE Team provide support to the young person who is suffering and their family, but the coaches will help navigate the resources available and assist with the warm transition to long-term support if necessary,” Campbell said. “This might be one of the most important supportive services a young person or family needs: reducing barriers, providing support and promoting healing.”

Beginning in 2020, Thrive launched the youthdriven “End the Silence” campaign, which encourages the community, particularly young people, to talk about suicide and mental health concerns.

Thrive Program Manager Erin Morrissey said in September the first step in addressing the issue was listening to what the youth needed.

“We asked them what they needed and what they wanted adults to do. What we heard was they wanted adults to know what to look for and what to say,” Morrissey said. “Out of that grew the End the Silence campaign and part of that was the suicide prevention youth summit.”

As for the CARE Team, Morrissey said the difference between Thrive’s program and the suicide prevention hotline is a localized effort with a faster response. The team also addresses more than just the individual but those affected in proximity.

“The care team would respond to each of those in a different way but they would respond,” Morrissey said. “The idea is that there is no wrong referral source. Anyone can activate the care team.”

Youths or families who need help can call the CARE Team number at 783-CARE (2273) to be connected to a CARE Team coach.

The CARE Team hotline does not have live operators. Anyone seeking immediate help for a crisis response emergency should call 911, the NVCF notes.

For more information about the CARE Team, visit www.nvcf.org/careteam or email thrive@nvcf.org.