Young Minds Matter: Not Just a Day but a Movement

Opening panel at YMM: Youth Voices for Change

This blog post was guest authored by Dana Fields-Johnson, a director at Prevention Institute, a grantee partner at the Hogg Foundation and coordinator of the Communities of Care initiative.                                                   

In early November, thought leaders, practitioners, community advocates, and youth gathered for the 2023 Young Minds Matter Conference (YMM) in Houston. YMM is a call to action, an opportunity to contribute to the collective healing of communities, and a chance to be part of a movement shaping the future of mental health. Under the theme of ‘Transforming Our Communities Collectively,’ participants discussed promising solutions to mental health with a focus on creating resilient communities for youth. Co-hosted by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and Prevention Institute, YMM is representative of a movement that prioritizes a comprehensive approach to mental well-being and that considers the impact of the community environment and non-medical drivers of mental health.

Since the onset of the pandemic, much has been documented about its negative impacts on the mental health of youth and young adults. Isolation, social disconnection, gaps in academic achievement and learning, housing displacement, and rising levels of violence in communities are among the ongoing challenges and societal pressures that have contributed to rising rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety for youth and young adults. However, YMM was a unique space for youth and adults to discuss solutions to these and other barriers to mental well-being in a way that centered those most impacted.

Speaking Truthfully About the Problems

Startling statistics presented by researchers from Texas A&M University’s Youth Rising Lab, a research lab that studies traumatic stress and mental health in Black youth and families, revealed that over 90 percent of youth have witnessed violence, and 50-70 percent have directly experienced its harsh realities. The researchers also presented solutions centering on self-care across five domains—social, spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental.—and critical consciousness, a framework for understanding how youth can resist and heal from exposure to social, economic, and cultural stressors through understanding social and structural oppression.

Getting Creative About the Solutions

As we confront these urgent issues, the need for healing becomes clear. In addition to the need for addressing challenging non-medical drivers of mental health, the power of storytelling was also central to this year’s conference. YMM created a healing-centered space for young people and their communities.

This carefully curated event encapsulated promises of hope for youth, families, and communities in Houston. With a spotlight on the pressing issues facing the state’s youth, the conference was a dynamic exploration of solutions, strategies, and stories that empowered and uplifted those advocating for change. For example, the City of Houston worked with young people to release a Youth Mental Health Guide in October that could very well be a blueprint for how other cities address mental health. Not your typical black and white 15-page report, it connects art and activism to well-being and features thoughtful visuals from young people reflecting on their experiences with mental health.

“We need to be in community where young people are leading. We have to be in a relationship where youth are leading so [adults] can continue learning.” — Verniss McFarland, The Mahogany Project   

Communities of Care Initiative

YMM was also an opportunity to showcase the efforts of 10 collaboratives, funded by the Hogg Foundation. Working across greater Houston with the Communities of Care initiative, these collaboratives work to improve the mental health of youth and their families by transforming the environments where people live, learn, work, and play. Using Prevention Institute’s Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE), these collaboratives prioritize engaging youth and residents as change agents in their neighborhoods, advocating for more equitable parks, quality education, safety improvements, and affordable, quality childcare.

The conference featured the efforts of youth advocates and residents who are leading these efforts and highlighted examples of community healing, connection, and justice—like Dr. Hina Azam of Ibn Sina Foundation, Shanice Blair of The Future is Us, and youth advocates Erika Ngo and Alexander Lopez of My Connect Community Collaborative in Gulfton. Blair, Ngo, and Lopez were also represented in recent Into the Fold podcasts produced by the Hogg Foundation, Young Minds Matter: Real Queens and Transforming Young Minds Collectively.

The insight, vulnerability, and stories shared at YMM ignited conversations that will echo beyond that one day. There was a distinct camaraderie, passion, and connection throughout the conference that focused on the strengths of communities that are often cited solely for their challenges. The event was a showcase of innovative efforts in Houston and an opportunity to amplify the voices of those who stand for healing and connection. The groundbreaking discussions and practical approaches to mental health presented at the 2023 YMM are a roadmap toward a healthier future.

Learn more about how the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and Prevention Institute support mental health and community well-being in Houston and access content from YMM 2023.

Special thanks to LySaundra Campbell, Communications Consultant and founder of Social Soundtrack, for her contributions to this blogpost.

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