Youth Mental Health, Connectedness, and Resilience
Perspective
Mental health is a vital component of healthy development and well-being starting in early childhood through adolescence and beyond. While some young people can successfully navigate the ages and stages of life and its inherent challenges, far too many in North Carolina are suffering, to the point of depression, anxiety, even self-harm and suicide. Nationally, North Carolina ranks below half of all other states in youth mental health with higher prevalence of mental health challenges and lower rates of access to care. The state also faces a critical shortage of providers and limited access to effective interventions.
Like so many, we see the urgent need to tackle these challenges.
Central to our approach is the understanding that mental health, well-being, and resilience are shaped by the environments in which we live, and that community-based approaches that engage directly with youth and lift-up their perspective, provide significant opportunities to fortify communities, connectedness, resilience, and overall well-being.
We also understand that a child’s earliest years of life have significant bearing, and that the settings in which children spend this time influence their outcomes across education, attainment, and health – both physical and mental. High quality early care and education experiences, for example, support positive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development, which can have lasting impacts through adolescence and into adulthood.
And children and teens who can access early intervention, resources, and treatment when needed are more likely to be able to successfully navigate mental health setbacks throughout their lives.
Approach
Our approach is focused on ensuring children and youth in North Carolina grow up in strong and supportive environments that provide them with the best opportunity to be mentally healthy and thrive. Specifically, this includes:
- Bolstering a community ecosystem of promising practices, coalition development, and capacity building that prioritizes the mental wellness of children and youth.
- Promoting healthy development, resiliency, and mental well-being by building understanding of early intervention and strengthening the early care and education system.
- Ensuring children and youth can access high quality, holistic support through a combination of services, facilities, and a diverse and robust mental health workforce.
Examples of our Work in this Area
- We released a funding opportunity in early 2025 aimed at advancing collaborative, community-based approaches that improve conditions to support youth and foster resilience, life skills, and positive coping strategies.
- We carry out a comprehensive approach to transform the early care and education system in North Carolina so that it meets the needs of all children and families, providing a strong foundation for healthy development through adolescence and into adulthood.
- We are actively partnering with, and supporting, CaroNova and their statewide, multi-year effort to bring together public and private stakeholders to build a mental health and well-being system that supports youth at all life stages.
