Pilot program at local YMCA summer camps to address youth mental health crisis

Several districts are letting out for summer break this week, including Fort Worth ISD and Dallas ISD.

A new effort in North Texas is trying to help kids build emotional strength during this time away from school.

A coalition of five organizations has come together to create “YES YOU CAN!” — a pilot program that will deliver critical mental health support to nearly 600 children and teens participating in YMCA summer camps and learning academies.

Launching in June 2025, the initiative is the result of a partnership between the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Grant Halliburton Foundation, Metrocare, Momentous Institute, and the Center for BrainHealth.

“We're bringing the expertise to the kids and the families where they're at,” said Giselle Patterson, Associate Vice President of Community Health at the . “The program is very culturally sensitive, is designed to kind of fit into the YMCA culture and to help parents and counselors in a way that it doesn't feel forced, in a way that people can grow with their mental wellness.”

The program will do a pilot run on around 650 YMCA campers this summer. Organizers said it is designed to provide multi-layered support, not just for youth, but also for their families and the camp counselors who work with them.

Patterson said they saw a need for a program like this following post-COVID data on the impact the pandemic and other factors have had on youth mental health. It's also a way to fill in the gaps in between school years, when students are not directly in touch with resources at their schools.

"They do come to us in the summer with needs that are not filled because they're not in school. Since COVID, we have learned that the need for mental health support and mental illness prevention has really increased. So that is a need that we want to fill," she said.

Backed by philanthropic support from Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Hersh Foundation/Ken Hersh and Regen Horchow, and The Bette Rathjen Foundation for Emotional Health, the program will offer mental health training for counselors, dedicated programming for youth, resources for parents, and access to licensed professionals through both in-person and virtual methods during the camps.

The program also reinforces the science of brain plasticity — the brain’s ability to change and adapt — and integrates existing tools from partner organizations into a unified, comprehensive approach.

This effort comes at a critical time. According to the CDC, 40% of high school students reported experiencing symptoms of depression in 2023, up from just 20% in 2011. That number rises even higher when looking at feelings of persistent hopelessness or sadness, now reported by 42% of teens.

"That's nearly half,” said Tate Ringer, Chief Strategy Officer at , of the data. “One in four people is going to experience a mental health condition at some point in their life. So those are devastating statistics. We need more prevention. This is part of that prevention.”

The program will be implemented at several YMCA sites, including the Y’s Summer Learning Academies, Teen Camps, and Kamp K’aana at Camp Grady Spruce — a two-week sleepaway camp serving children above a healthy weight.

Programming highlights include:

• Counselor Training: Summer staff will be equipped with tools from partner organizations to better recognize and support mental health needs in campers.
• Youth Programming: Children and teens will participate in structured activities designed to build resilience and promote emotional well-being.
• Parental Support: Parents will be provided with resources and training to continue mental health practices at home.
• Professional Access: Metrocare will place licensed mental health professionals on-site and virtually to ensure expert support is available when needed.

“You can impact your brain health on a daily basis. The things you do can make a difference in your overall well-being,” added Ringer.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas established a mental health advisory board in 2022, and this program was a result of discussions within that board. If all goes well with the pilot program, the goal will be to expand it to the 7,000 YMCA campers throughout DFW next summer.

“The organizations’ collective expertise has been instrumental in shaping our approach for an effective program that can be replicated sustainably,” Patterson said. “Our goal is to help children and teens become more resilient and improve their overall well-being. We look forward to seeing how it will touch the lives of our community.”

To learn more about “YES YOU CAN!” and other YMCA programs, .