Youth anxiety and depression are on the rise nationally, and the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University are partnering in a new effort to help Michiana youth.
The new three-year program, called the St. Joseph County Universal Wellness Project, aims to help bridge the gap in local mental health care for young people through in-person or digital single-session interventions. They say these evidence-based approaches can make a big difference in mental health in a short amount of time.
The program will train 75 local providers to offer a one-time, solution-focused meeting with youth in need of mental health support. It will also offer access to an online platform that provides a self-directed experience, using videos, tips and suggestions on available resources, to help create a plan for improving their mental health.
The project is funded by a grant from the Valinhos Foundation, which is run by the Veldman Family who founded Tire Rack. The foundation also is behind the Notre Dame psychology department’s opening this spring of the Veldman Clinic on Hill Street in South Bend’s East Bank neighborhood.
A recent Northwestern University study found youth anxiety and depression increased nationally from 2016 to 2022.
EDITOR'S NOTE: In full disclosure, the University of Notre Dame is a financial supporter of WVPE.
