Sacramento youth are asking for help from city leaders. Will we listen?

Over the next 60 days or so, the Sacramento City Council will begin considering how best to spend the $89 million received through the federal CARES legislation. These funds are meant to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are certainly numerous.

One unfortunate consequence is the devastating effect the crisis is having on people’s mental health, particularly our city’s young people. Youth are experiencing unprecedented anxiety, fear, loneliness and uncertainty during these extraordinary times.

A recent survey conducted by citiesRISE, a global platform for youth-led mental health systems reform, highlights the challenges our young people are facing. Sixty-three percent of the 277 youth respondents reported not knowing where to get help if they were willing to seek it out, despite the fact that Sacramento County has funded some important and relatively new crisis intervention services for youth.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that youth want to talk to people who look like them or who come from similar backgrounds. They also want more opportunities for relational connections and for developing coping skills. One of the young respondents to the survey said: “We want to know that we’re all doing this together; we’re not alone in trying to figure out our new realities.”

Sac Kids First, a grassroots coalition that invests in the healthy development of children and youth, is advocating for the allocation of funds towards programs that would address several of the challenges revealed in the survey. They call for funds to support the weekend youth and community pop-ups launched last year. These positive evening activities provide virtual safe spaces and enrichment activities for youth.

The organization sees the opportunity for pop up providers to partner with county-funded youth advocates and integrate peer counselors into the events. These counselors can connect participants to services if needed or simply listen to their struggles. Sac Kids First also recommends that the city support summer enrichment for elementary and middle school-aged youth, and summer employment and internship opportunities for high school youth.

Now more than ever we need to focus on the mental health and wellbeing of our children and youth. They need reassurance and someone to talk to when they feel down or lonely. They are telling us what they are struggling with and what they want.

City leaders should use the Citywide Youth Development Campaign Plan as a touchstone to determine how the $89 million can be used to support our young people. The plan’s vision is that “all Sacramento children and youth are valued and reach their fullest potential.”

Significant investment to support them in dealing with the upending of their world is the best use of money. If we truly believe that young people are an asset to Sacramento’s future, then we need to pay close attention to their needs, especially when it comes to mental health. City leaders need to go beyond saying that they care about youth – the decisions they make about how to spend these federal funds will speak louder than words.