Last month, Mikva youth hosted two pop-up clinics in North Lawndale and Humboldt Park, which were a culmination of their learning from the Teen Health Council. The clinics were a huge success and we’re so proud of the good work they’re doing in Chicago communities.
In 2016, Mikva Challenge and the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR) formed a partnership to improve the mental health and wellness of Chicago high school students and young people. The aim of the partnership includes improving access to and knowledge of behavioral health sciences for young people in Chicago, leveraging city-wide youth research along with surveys and youth focus groups to better understand what Chicago youth know about behavioral health and to help design effective programs that meet their needs. Additionally, CCR serves as the content expert in mental health on multiple behavioral health initiatives Mikva youth pioneer, helping to support and inform the work Mikva Challenge produces.
In an effort to promote youth-informed mental health within schools, Mikva Challenge developed a Teen Health Council to integrate data-driven input into mental health services for youth in schools and communities across the city. The Mikva Challenge Teen Health Council is a diverse group of Chicago youth that work in collaboration with CCR, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Chicago Public Schools Office of Student Health and Wellness. Together, they research, debate, and report on policy recommendations concerning nutrition, physical activity, healthy relationships, and sexual and mental health.
