The Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico has partnered with 13 other organizations to introduce the AWARE project. This program is aimed at offering youth mental health resources to combat the ever-present mental health crisis facing the globe. The services will be offered in five schools in Arecibo, San Juan, Bayamon, and San Lorenzo. Across Puerto Rico, more children will have access to critical mental health resources. The project will partner with the Puerto Rico Department of Education, school personnel, and mental wellness organizations to connect with families and youth.
By getting mental health-related activities like advocacy and prevention in the community, the AWARE project will ensure youth in the Boys and Girls Clubs will have access to vital mental health resources. This way, Puerto Rico’s Boys and Girls Clubs can achieve their goal of fostering healthy emotional development and preventing violent tendencies in schools.
This new mental health initiative connects to the organization’s commitment to serving the most underprivileged communities, reducing poverty, and improving living conditions. By providing individuals specifically with social development resources this becomes even more effective.
Social development resources are specifically critical in underserved communities. According to Olga Ramos-Carrasquillo, the President of the Boys and Girls Clubs Puerto Rico, “trauma sequelae, exposure to violence, positive parenting skills and emotional intelligence” are adverse childhood experiences that can impact academic achievement, quality of life, and social mobility.
The AWARE project is more than another mental health initiative. It is a display of commitment to the communities of Puerto Rico and the children who reside there. Beyond this, it is an important step in raising awareness of how mental health resources are being made accessible to today’s children, enabling them to become future leaders and building a better future for the community as a whole.
0 Comments