Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!) launched today as an organization by sharing its Youth Mental Wellness Needs Assessment and its 10-year strategy to improve youth mental health in the Greater Cincinnati region.

HEY! is the result of unprecedented community collaboration, bringing together community groups, funders, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, families, and, most importantly, youth. The collective engaged more than 200 community members, 25 youth fellows as well as 100 additional youth and their families, who formed the strategy following several months of development and research.

“The mental health challenges we are facing today are too complex for any one organization to solve. HEY! is leaning into youth and those with lived experiences to work with system leaders from across sectors to institute practices, programs, and policies supporting youth mental well-being,” Clare Zlatic Blankemeyer, executive director of HEY!, said. “Our vision is that the youth of Greater Cincinnati feel valued and supported by the community and have a say in changing the systems around them that enable them to thrive.”

Like in many communities, youth in Greater Cincinnati continue to struggle with mental health. Earlier this year, HEY! conducted extensive research, completing a Greater Cincinnati Youth Mental Well-Being Collaborative Needs Assessment that engaged hundreds of key stakeholders. While the region is a national leader in youth behavioral healthcare, siloed funding, lack of insurance reimbursement, decreased social connections, and a shortage of access to clinical care continue to serve as barriers to youth and their families.

Finding solutions: HEY!’s 10-year strategy

In developing its 10-year strategy, HEY! took a unique approach, leaning into the region’s youth to help establish the solutions that will make the most impact. Working with a steering committee of community leaders, they hired youth fellows to serve as key decision-makers in every stage of the planning process. Working directly with youth leaders to develop programs, HEY! members inspire practice changes, build community momentum, and mobilize resources toward shared strategic priorities.

“So many times youth are brought in as an opinion, but then over-spoken by adults,” said Quinn Merriss, HEY! Youth Fellow. “So, actively involving youth in not only the planning but the implementation and working together with these adults is amazing and inspiring. We’re going to prioritize mental health and work on erasing stigma.”

Over the next 10 years, HEY! aims to grow youth’s sense of belonging and agency, increase the number of trusted adults in youth’s lives, and improve youth behavioral health. Continuing to lean into youth voices, HEY! will begin to develop specific tactics in the identified focus areas: schools, communities and caregivers, and treatment. The goal is for mental well-being to be a pillar of educational services, for youth to feel safe and supported in their communities, and for all youth to have access to evidence-based, holistic, and culturally responsive care when needed.

About HEY!

Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!) is a diverse coalition of community groups, funders, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, families, and, most importantly, youth working to support the mental well-being of all youth in Greater Cincinnati—especially those facing the most significant barriers and disparities. Comprised of more than 200 community members, HEY’s vision is that our youth thrive, feel a sense of belonging, have resilience, and are surrounded by trusted adults and community support. For more information, visit www.hopefulempoweredyouth.org.

HEY! is fueled by the following partners: