During the pandemic years, the mental health of children and teens took a big hit. Research is now demonstrating that teen girls are among the group that suffered the most and are continuing to contribute significantly to the mental health crisis. The Girl Scouts of the USA are taking up the fight of mental health awareness by partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, (NAMI), to launch a new mental health wellness program.
Recently, the largest girl organization in the world announced that they were launching three new mental wellness patches that will fall within the scope of their “Movement’s Mental Health Initiative”. The new patches, geared towards girls in 4th through 12th grade, provide tools that will help the young ladies safely identify and explore their feelings. The new patches will encompass themes that are geared towards mental wellness, resiliency, behavioral issues, and health habits.
“NAMI is proud to support Girl Scouts’ effort to raise awareness for mental health and well-being with the patch program,” NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. said in a recent interview.
Gillison Jr. concluded, “The reach and ability to support girls across age groups with tailored resources and activities is incredibly valuable not only for the girls but also for parents and caregivers. We hope by making it easier to talk generally about mental health with a trusted adult; girls will feel more at ease sharing concerns or asking questions.”
Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of GSUSA continued the conversation, stressing just how important this new initiative is in order to bring a bigger spotlight on mental health for girls.
“Fostering positive mental health habits has always been a focus of our work with girls, and we recognize the critical need to build these programs now more than ever. Earning these patches teaches and encourages girls to take actions that are incredibly important to reducing the stigma around mental health.”
The initiative not only allowed the GSUSA the opportunity to build a unique partnership with NAMI, they were also to include the HCA Healthcare Foundation to their group of supporters as well.
“We are proud to continue partnering with Girl Scouts on this research-based mental wellness program,” said Joanne Pulles, vice president of community engagement at HCA Healthcare and president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation. “Girls need support now more than ever, and thanks to the reach of the Girl Scouts model, we know that these resources have the potential to make a positive impact on countless young women.”
If you are interested in learning more about this important initiative, visit the GSUSA official site here. Our girls today unquestionably deserve the help that they need when they need it.
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Girl Scouts Instagram
