Reaching Out to School and Community Stakeholders to Improve Mental Health Services for Youth in an Urban US Community

Abstract

The article presents the findings from a series of focus groups on youth needs held with adults from an innercity community in the Northeastern United States. The community members who participated in focus groups expressed a range of issues affecting youth health and adjustment, including inadequate housing, childcare, after-school programs, stressed and overcrowded schools, peer pressure for involvement in risky and negative behavior and exposure to high levels of violence and drug activity. Recommendations from these community members focused on building/enhancing programs and supports in schools and neighborhoods to address these issues, and increasing community engagement in the lives of young people. Implications for the development and improvement of school-based mental health programs are discussed.