It Takes a Community

What if we could support youth mental health before a crisis happens? In this episode of The Mindful Mic, we sit down with Dr. Megan Smith, Boise State University professor and founding director of Communities for Youth, to talk about a powerful upstream approach to youth mental health. Using local data from the Idaho Youth Wellbeing Survey, Communities for Youth is helping Idaho communities better understand what is driving depression and other mental health challenges among young people—and what we can do about it. Dr. Smith shares why social connection has emerged as one of the most important protective factors for Idaho youth, and how schools, families, businesses, community leaders, and teens themselves can all play a role in creating healthier, more connected communities. We also talk about Get Out There Boise, youth-friendly businesses, the importance of listening directly to young people, and the encouraging results communities are already seeing. It’s a hopeful conversation about moving beyond crisis response and creating communities where young people can truly thrive. Learn more & get involved: Communities for Youth: https://www.communitiesforyouth.org/ Get Out There Boise: https://www.getoutthereboise.org/