♪♪
-Good morning, everybody.
Thank you for coming to Nathan Hale today.
I would just like to thank you for sharing space with us
as you -- work for this important work today.
So I am Jolene Grimes,
the proud Principal of Nathan Hale High School.
Welcome.
-Thank you, Principal Jolene Grimes.
We appreciate this opportunity to be here.
I'm just going to move this up a little bit.
I'm probably the tallest one up here, Dr. Khan and I, so --
[ Silence ] -- okay.
Maybe I won't move it up.
Well, good morning,
and thank you all
for joining us today to discuss just a critical investment
in Seattle youth.
My name is Dwane -- Dr. Dwane Chappelle.
I'm the proud Director at the Department of Education
here at the City of Seattle.
And within our department, our mission is to ensure
that every young person has the tools and support
they need to thrive, both inside and outside of the classroom.
And we're -- we're extremely proud to partner
with seven incredible organizations
that bring a deep understanding of our community's
unique needs and challenges.
These amazing organizations will deliver evidence-based,
culturally-attuned care that meets youth
where they are and empowers them to navigate life's
challenges with resilience.
This $7 million youth investment in mental health services
reflect our commitment to equity and access
for all of our Seattle youth,
particularly those youth from communities
that are least likely to encounter care
that honors their backgrounds, identities, and needs.
So by introducing Telehealth,
we're breaking down barriers like cost, the stigma,
and lack of culturally-appropriate care,
ensuring that those resources are available
whenever and wherever they're needed.
The community-based Telehealth initiative is part
of our broader strategy to support students'
mental health through school-based services and
community partnerships.
As we begin to roll out new services
with these seven provider organizations,
middle and high school-age
Seattle students can continue to access healthcare --
mental healthcare --
through school-based health centers on campus
at 21 of the Seattle public school sites.
And our young folks also have access to free virtual therapy,
unlimited texting,
and monthly one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist
through Talkspace.
This comprehensive approach that is community-based Telehealth,
school-based health, and virtual care,
it aligns with our greater vision of promoting
student wellness,
creating equitable opportunities for all youth to succeed,
not only academically, but emotionally and socially.
So I want to just thank Mayor Harrell -- Mayor Harrell.
Excuse me.
I want to thank Mayor Harrell, our City Counsel,
our provider partners,
and the community for their ongoing support
in prioritizing youth mental health.
I also want to thank our young folks
for their commitment as well. So, DEEL,
we now invest to build on the foundation of equity and access
which is at the heart of One Seattle like Reachout.
So thank you again, Mayor Harrell.
So what I want to do now is introduce Mayor Harrell
to come up for a moment.
-Thank you. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
-Thank you, Dwane.
I'd like to begin by thanking again
Principal Jolene Grimes Edwards for letting us into your --
your house of learning, your home of learning.
So last night the Superintendent and I were at a high school
and we were high school students again enjoying
a basketball game.
And I took full advantage of that to brag to a senior
who I was when I was a senior.
I think I bored her because -- I'm joking.
I only said something -- I was a senior like you.
But I really had that conversation to understand
what goes through the mind of a student now
because times have changed.
The level of trauma, the level of fear,
the lack of safety with gunfire has changed.
A week ago I talked to many students
and they asked me the question,
"Why did I become a lawyer?" And I said,
"Because I learned at a very young age the power of words.
Words can drive people to kill. It can drive you to tears.
They could also inspire you, bring you tears of joy."
I told the story of when I was thirteen.
I remember I was playing basketball at Garfield
and I walked eight blocks with a friend crying over something
that had happened on a basketball court -- just words.
And so I thought how cool it would be
to be able to learn words and articulate words to do good.
I level set with that story
to talk about the seven million investment going to seven local
organizations who have helped us optimize the power
of conversation, of healing.
I'm excited to be with the Department of Education
and Early Learning to announce this.
These organizations include
the Asian Counseling and Referral Service,
Consejo Counseling and Referral Services,
Joon/Joon Care, Seattle Children's Hospital,
Odessa Brown Children's Clinics, Seneca Family of Agencies,
Southwest Youth and Family Services,
the Therapy Fund Foundation.
The power of words and the power of cultural competency,
the power to reach young folks where they are.
The diversity of these organizations
reflect the diversity of our communities,
ensuring that our youth have access to this kind of care
who understand their backgrounds and their lived experiences.
Our strategy will be focused on prevention,
early identification and intervention,
and expanding access to treatment,
both in-person and virtual.
So we don't take youth mental health for granted.
If you look at what my administration are trying to do,
as I said yesterday when there were a bunch of little toddlers
on the floor, I said a lot of what we do are just for them.
Some of us are in the --
what I call the "fourth quarter" of their life.
Now let me explain that.
So you get twenty years a quarter.
So the first twenty, twenty to forty -- that's second quarter,
twenty to forty to sixty to eighty.
I know someone says, "Well, what do you mean?
You die when you're eighty?"
I says, "No, every five years is an overtime period."
So some of us are going to go for three or four overtimes.
But as we get into that fourth quarter of our age,
that we really look back and ask, "What do we stand for?"
And I think all of us here
are now standing for that next generation.
So that's what this investment will do.
Last year we had over 18,000 youth participate in our Teen --
Teen Late Night Programs at community centers.
We recognized that since launching this a month ago,
over 100 students have accessed free Telehealth support
through Talkspace.
So as I relinquish the microphone,
I just want to impress upon everyone that can hear my voice,
the power of words are so almost immeasurable.
And we're going to invest because we want to save
and protect and love our youth. Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
-Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Harrell.
So now I would like to welcome
up our amazing Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones
of Seattle Public Schools
to speak about the power of partnership
in support of youth mental health for students,
families, and educator.
Let's welcome Superintendent Jones.
[ Applause ]
-Thank you, Director Chappelle and Mayor Harrell.
Good morning.
It's a privilege to be here in beautiful Nathan Hale.
Seattle Public Schools is unwavering in our commitment
to provide safe, inclusive,
and supportive learning environments for every student.
This is our foundational priority.
This summer the Mayor and I came together with a shared vision
to create an ecosystem of safety for our students,
one that encompasses both the physical
and social/emotional wellbeing of our students.
Alongside the dedicated efforts of the Mayor,
Dr. Chappelle, and the DEEL team,
we've made important strides in ensuring
our students feel secure
and empowered to be their authentic selves.
At SPS, we are a teaching and learning organization,
and we believe that for teaching
and learning to take place our students must be well mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually.
The City's partnership has been invaluable in this journey.
Our students have spoken, and we have listened.
They face increasing mental challenges
as they navigate the complexities of today's online
and physical worlds.
Through our partnership with the City of Seattle's
Department of Education and Early Learning
and mental health organizations,
we are expanding access to critical services and resources.
These will help our middle
and high school students manage stress, anxiety,
and other mental health concerns.
So we are committed to meeting students
where they are,
including through the Telehealth options that they've asked for.
By investing in mental health resources now,
we are laying the foundation for the long-term success
of our students' wellbeing,
and them becoming our future leaders in that fourth quarter,
or that second quarter,
or that third quarter that Mayor Harrell talked about.
This initiative really will empower our students
to build resilience, emotional intelligence,
and coping skills to serve them throughout their lives.
Mental health matters.
It's complex, it's multifaceted,
requiring a diverse range of expertise.
When educators, counselors, mental health professionals,
and community partners come together,
the support we provide becomes more --
more comprehensive and impactful.
Together we can ensure our students receive the support
they need to thrive. Thank you.
Now -- I'll now turn it over to Anya Peterson,
a tenth-grade student here at Nathan Hale,
as a member of the Seattle -- City of Seattle,
Seattle Youth Commission.
Anya, we're proud of you. Now over to you.
Thank you. [ Applause ]
-Hello, and good morning to everyone.
My name is Anya Peterson
and I'm a tenth-grade student at Nathan Hale High School,
as well as being an at-large member
of the Seattle Youth Commission.
Today I was asked to share about
why mental health resources are so crucial
to students in this day.
I would like to start by bringing us back
to almost five years ago today
when we first found out about COVID-19.
Many students like myself struggled with the idea
of being forced inside for over a year.
And while many people might have originally enjoyed the idea,
by the end we could all feel the weight and effects
that staying so far from each other had led to.
As we returned from that year, hidden behind a screen,
with the ability to turn off our camera
and shut ourselves away from the world whenever we desired,
we found that our mental health was one
of our newfound biggest challenges.
Looking around,
we are all navigating the demanding landscape
of academic life,
whether it's through exams, deadlines,
or the constant expectations from those around us,
our mental wellbeing often becomes a subject of concern.
Additionally, with part-time jobs,
extra curricular activities,
and other obligations outside of school,
the pressure can lead to added stress, anxiety,
and even depression.
As I think about my own life,
I can see how much mental health has an impact on the people near
and dear to me,
whether it be their smiles not quite reaching their eyes,
or an anxiety, a fear -- and a fear that wasn't there before.
By providing mental health resources such as
counseling services, therapy sessions, and support groups,
we are giving students a safe space
to express their feelings
and hopefully lift some of the burden.
By also adding more resources into schools,
we are providing immediate, safe spaces for students
who may not have that comfort at home.
Mental health resources also help to play a vital role
in personal development.
Access to resources empowers students
to navigate challenges with resilience,
and equips them with the tools needed to be successful
in both academics and healthy relationships,
thus, building a stronger sense of self worth.
By providing mental health resources,
we are also preventing the stigma
that is associated with mental health issues,
in turn normalizing and encouraging students -- hold on,
I need a page -- to seek help without the fear of judgment,
leading to a community of understanding and value
amongst each other.
Finally, by investing in mental health,
we are investing in our future.
The students of this generation are the leaders of the next.
They are the innovators, in and out of the classroom,
and are bringing change to tomorrow.
By fostering a positive atmosphere
and prioritizing mental health, we are nurturing a generation
that is resilient, empathetic,
and capable of addressing the challenges of the future.
In conclusion,
us as students are immensely grateful for the work
that is being done to raise awareness about these issues and
for the resources that are being made available for us to use.
Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health,
and together we can break the stigma
and pave the way for a brighter, healthier future for all.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
-That was fantastic! Thank you, Anya.
But before we move on,
I just wanted to make a quick announcement
that our Counsel Member who oversees --
who's in this district, Rivera,
very much wanted to be here but she couldn't make it today,
so she sent something for me to read.
Counsel Member asked me to let you know
that she wholeheartedly supports this investment
into the wellbeing of our middle and high school students.
These awards are trusted providers of high quality,
diverse, and evidence-based mental health services,
both in person and virtual.
It is important that all middle
and high school students at Seattle Public Schools
can find the care they need.
These kids have endured a pandemic,
and are now dealing with gun violence at their schools.
Those are large,
difficult challenges for anyone at any age.
As an SPS mom,
I am proud that we have mental health counselors in place
to help our students.
Now let's ensure they know how to
and feel empowered to ask for help.
So I wanted to read that from Counsel Member Rivera
who couldn't join us today.
So, once again, thank you, Anya,
for joining us and shedding light on the realities
that young folks in our communities are navigating.
So we honor you for being a leader
and a changemaker for your peers and the greater community.
Let's give her, one more time, a round of applause.
[ Applause ]
So the program and resources
we're introducing now informed by the priorities
of our youth and families
where we are listening
and are energized to expand available resources and support
to meet the needs that our young people have identified.
One mental health care priority we have heard loud
and clear from Seattle youth
is access to culturally-responsive care.
So I would like to now welcome Ashley McGirt,
Founder and CEO of Therapy Fund Foundation
to share a few words about their innovative program model,
their dedication to serving Black
and African diaspora youth and communities.
Therapy Fund Foundation is one
of our seven Telehealth awardees
for community-based mental health services.
Come on, Ashley. [ Applause ]
-Thank you so much.
As the CEO and Founder of the Therapy Fund Foundation,
I'm thrilled we are able to expand our reach
with the free therapy services that we provide to our youth.
Mayor Harrell shared earlier, someone asked,
"Are we going to live to be eighty?"
And it made me think about why I do this work.
My grandmother died at 62 years old from a stroke.
The leading cause of stroke is stress.
My grandmother was extremely stressed out,
and I often think about the trajectory of her life.
And if there were therapeutic supports available to her,
would she still be here?
And would she have managed her stress in other ways
than the ways that she did
that actually ultimately led to the end of her life?
And following her death,
my grief turned to major depression.
I grew up not too far from here
and I went to a predominantly White school.
I ended up seeing the school counselor,
a White woman who didn't understand the role
of grandmother in Black families.
I found myself at ten years old
having to educate her on race relations in America,
and I never got the healing that I needed.
And so I actually wanted to be a lawyer,
but I pivoted and I started studying psychology
and mental health
because I knew that there were other Black children,
other children of color
who were suffering
and didn't need to explain what they were going through
to their counselor,
or have to understand their -- explain their culture,
that they needed someone who represented them.
And being a Black clinician, we're a unicorn.
There's only four percent of us
throughout the entire United States.
And so through the Therapy Fund Foundation,
we not only provide free therapy services,
we offer peer support services.
We also -- provide free mental health services,
education, and advocacy.
We are more than a service provider.
We're a movement for healing.
Our approach to mental health is one
that is rooted in anti-oppressive,
culturally-responsive practices,
meaning we not only acknowledge systemic barriers,
but actively work to dismantle them both inside
and outside of therapy.
We center the lived experiences of our youth
from historically excluded communities and create spaces
where they feel seen, heard, and empowered to heal,
spaces where they don't have to educate their clinician
like I did when I was their age.
Far too often, young people,
especially those in Black and underserved communities,
are left without the resources or support they need to thrive.
We have answered the calls
when people in our community
have experienced immense devastation from gun violence,
displacement, and more.
Our work bridges the gap by connecting youth to clinicians
who reflect their identities,
understand their experiences,
and practice with compassion and cultural responsiveness.
The CDC has revealed
that suicide is the third leading cause of death
for Black boys aged 10 to 24. Even more troubling,
the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
have found that Black youth under the age of 13
are twice as likely to die by suicide as their White peers.
For Black girls, suicide attempts have risen by over 30%,
and only 25% of Black youth who experience severe depression
receive treatment compared to 40% of their White counterparts.
Through this work we are changing that.
I have youth who come up to me every day,
they see me, they hear my story, they say I look like them,
and that they're proud to be able to work
with a therapist of color,
a therapist who sees them and understands them,
and not just myself.
We have over 200 providers of color within our network
that we're able to connect with youth
because we know that healing is a collective effort,
and we cannot do this alone.
That's why we're inviting community to join us
in our mission of eliminating barriers to healing within Black
and other marginalized communities.
We have a small team
and we ask for your support in spreading the word,
supporting the work, doing outreach,
so that we can continue to connect youth
with clinicians of color and culturally-responsive services.
We are extremely honored to have this funding
because, oftentimes, we have long wait lists
because we haven't been able to serve all of the youth
who reach out,
especially when there are instances of gun violence,
displacement, and other things
that happen within the community.
And even more now than ever,
we are going to need mental health services
so we are extremely grateful
and thankful to be a partner within this funding
that the City of Seattle has released.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
-Thank you, Ashley.
School-based health centers are a foundational element
of mental health services and a support for our youth.
So now what I would like to do is welcome Dr. Faisal Khan --
Dr. Khan is the Director of Public Health
for Seattle/King County --
to come and speak about partnership
and ongoing efforts to ensure
that our young people have timely access
to such critical care. So let's welcome Dr. Khan.
[ Applause ]
Dr. Faisal Khan: I came prepared with remarks,
but I'm going to digress.
Our network of school-based health centers in King County
is a true community asset.
And we're providing lots of services,
and we -- we need to continue to fund them
and empower them to do even more.
But if you'll permit me,
I'm going to digress because this is personal.
As the father of a 19 year old and a 24 year old,
both of whom struggled with depression,
both of whom struggled with the various challenges
that children today -- and I use the word
"children" deliberately because sometimes when we use the word
"youth" it tends to gloss over the fact
that we're dealing with children -- our children --
who are not yet emotionally,
mentally, socially developed enough
to be able to deal with things the way adults would.
Adults are struggling, let alone children.
So anything that I cite to you
in terms of statistics does nothing
to describe the twindemic of depression and suicide
that seems to be taking the lives of our children right now.
I want to commend the team from Talkspace,
CBO Natalie Cummins, your -- your colleagues.
They have truly made a difference in New York City
throughout their -- through their work.
And so to the members of the media,
do ask Natalie about their work in New York City.
As I was kidding with her earlier today,
we tell all our colleagues on the East Coast --
what they experiment with,
we try to perfect on the West Coast.
And that's what we're trying to do here.
We're trying to enable our children,
kids like Anya, my kids, to take control of their lives,
of their health, and put that in their hands, quite literally.
That's what Talkspace is about.
That's what new modalities of service are about.
All these fantastic leaders
that are sitting up here on the stage are fully committed to it.
I could not be prouder of working
with the City of Seattle,
with the leadership that Mayor Harrell and his team have shown,
the leadership that the County has shown on this issue.
We recently concluded the development of a comprehensive,
five-year strategic plan for Seattle and
King County Public Health.
And I'll bet you can guess what the priorities were.
Access to care, which means high-quality medical
and dental care for adults and teens --
for adults and children.
Substance use disorder including the fentanyl crisis.
Mental health -- particularly youth mental health.
Homelessness and gun violence prevention.
Now those problems, those four major crises,
don't exist in isolation.
They intersect with each other. Some statistics
that the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey tells us
are truly astounding.
I was at a presentation at the CDC last year
in which the Center for Injury Prevention
shared some of the stats they were looking at.
Upwards of 40% of kids surveyed said
that they had taken active steps towards making a plan
to commit suicide.
And I mean active steps. I asked them the same question,
"What do you mean "active steps"?
Define that."
Researching it, planning it out down to the date and the time.
That's how bad this crisis is.
That's what we're trying to prevent from happening.
So to the members of the media,
I really do appreciate the attention you focus on this,
and the various elements of this,
the very facets of this
that don't get highlighted in the sanitized narratives
or get lost in the multitude of statistical tables
that we come across. That's what this is about.
Public Health Seattle in King County
is proud to work with so many partners across the region,
not the least of which are in the mental health industry.
We look forward to expanding those partnerships.
We look forward to pouring more resources, even in the midst
of resource-constrained environments.
I'm using that term deliberately, Mayor Harrell.
All of you are privy to the same headlines we have -- we are.
The State, the County,
the City are all experiencing financial challenges,
but this is not a crisis that we can ignore.
We have to figure out a way to do more in this space,
and that's the challenge that lies ahead for us.
Thank you so much. Thank you. I really do appreciate this.
[ Applause ]
-Thank you, Dr. Khan.
So this is truly a critical moment
for our young people to access the care that they need,
as Dr. Khan just mentioned.
Closing the gap for youth to access mental healthcare,
it is a community-wide effort.
And we are sincerely grateful to all
of our partners and collaborators
for the vital work that you are doing to meet this need.
Teens and young adults in Seattle,
we hear you, we see you.
Your mental wellness matters to us.
You and your parents and loved ones
can learn more about the free resources
from the City of Seattle
that support your mental health and wellness
by visiting seattle.gov/education.
If you visited this space to learn more
about the school-based mental health,
the virtual care options,
upcoming programs with the local providers
for this spring of 2025,
you can also access immediate support with Reachout.
Call or text 988. You can do that 24/7.
And lastly, there's free virtual therapy for youth ages 13 to 14
that is available with Talkspace.
And you can learn more about that
or register with Talkspace at talkspace.com/Seattle.
So, with that being said, we are going to conclude this,
and I'll pass this over to the Mayor for a few questions.
-Thank you. Thank you, Dwane. I'll ask for a few questions,
but I've learned in my business I try not to solicit them.
I just want to thank our speakers.
Many of us had prepared notes,
but I thought you saw on a real-time basis people speaking
from their heart.
And as Mayor I was just so pleased to see that Dr. Khan --
-- I had your name.
I just meant -- Ashley McGirt.
I'm never going to forget that name
because you are very powerful.
The rest of you read your speeches
so I'm not referring to you guys.
[laughter]
It was very powerful, very moving.
So, with that,
are there any questions on what we're trying to do today?
And I'll count you down if there's not.
And -- yes.
[ Inaudible question ]
Sure.
So we've earmarked for this particular program $7 million
that I think is just from our general subfund
with the sub department would, of course,
be our Department of Early Learning, Education Department.
We have another total, I think,
$20 million for other strategies
and other investments dealing with mental health.
And we'll be probably rolling out some announcements on how --
what that looks like.
That's one of the reasons
why I mentioned in my remarks some of the stuff
we're doing in our community centers.
Okay?
With that, everyone, let's just make it a great day today again.
Thank you for letting us in this great house
of learning at Nathan Hale,
one great school amongst many great schools.
And, everyone, let's make it a great week.
Thank you very much. [ Applause ]