Claudia: Building a supportive mental health network for high school students.

Girl Scout Claudia knows the challenges that come along with being a teenager. To earn their Gold Award, Claudia worked to ensure teens feel supported no matter what life throws at them. They did this by applying for grants to gain funding for teens in schools and guiding high school staff members through teen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training programs.

Claudia understood the importance of creating a safe and comfortable environment for teens to express their emotions. In response, they improved and expanded resources to help them get the support they needed. Claudia says, “Teens are often unable to get resources and information that can be lifesaving. Right now all that is being told to teens is to talk to an adult, but that’s often not an option due to lack of trust and fear of consequences. While there is some training available for adults, teens do not always feel comfortable going to adults and/or an adult who can help is not always around.”

With this in mind, Claudia began finding ways to address the problem. First, they connected with a school that was already in search of a similar program, West Delaware High School in Manchester, Iowa. Then they found a mental health agency that was willing to help, the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health in Cedar Rapids. Together, they worked out the logistics, applied for a grant, and created a budget to make MHFA resources and training available at the high school. During this process, they never lost sight of their goal.

Claudia’s planning and dedication left an incredible impact within the community. Not only did Claudia help build new relationships, but they were also able to raise awareness about and destigmatize the mental health challenges teens face. They say, “Mental health affects everyone in the world. This is where a big distinction between mental health and mental illness comes into play. Everyone has mental health. While it is not unique to high school students, that is often where many kids really start to struggle with their mental health and mental illness, and without help the issues just spiral.”

While everyone who participated in Claudia’s project gained a better understanding of how to approach mental health, build a supportive network, and other valuable skills, they too learned much along the way. Along with patience and tenacity, they learned how to work through feelings of discouragement when funding didn’t go according to plan. Brainstorming with their team helped them discover new ways to achieve the support they needed to bring their initiative to life. Claudia also leveraged project management, budgeting, collaboration, community building, and problem-solving skills to help lead their team. Claudia’s leadership skills helped their team gain the confidence and capabilities they needed to lead on their own, so teens in their community will continue to benefit through the initiative.

Gold Award Girl Scout Claudia’s work has come to an end, but they note that with their contributions, the “teen MHFA is one way to ensure that kids are getting information and resources” to support them along their mental health journey. Even though their first grant application was denied, Claudia didn’t give up. They say, “I was able to work with those on my team to edit [the application] until we had another opportunity to submit [for] the grant, which ultimately was approved.” This funding will ensure Claudia’s work continues.

While everyone’s mental health journey is different, Claudia’s work made an important impact in teaching the students at West Delaware High School about the many mental health resources available to them. With everything they learned along the way and the relationships they made, Claudia knows their journey helping others is far from over.