Opinion: Community and culture can change the story for NC’s youth

School bells have started ringing again and college students are settling back into campus life across the Triangle. While the familiar rhythm of a new academic year brings excitement, it also arrives at a time when concerns about young people's well-being continue to grow.

In communities across North Carolina, too many young people are quietly battling stress, anxiety and depression, challenges that can disrupt friendships and affect their ability to focus on school and hobbies - or even dream about the future. This year alone, 1 in 6 adolescents in our state will experience a major depressive episode, according to NAMI North Carolina. One in nine will have serious thoughts of suicide.

And, too often, barriers like stigma, limited trained support staff in schools, and a lack of culturally attuned care prevent young people from getting the help they need. For many families, the cost of care is simply out of reach, and waitlists for providers are daunting.

These are deep-rooted challenges, but they are not impossible to overcome.

We need to rethink what caring for our youth truly means. We need a more compassionate, inclusive web of support grounded in the realities of young people's lives - one that draws on the strengths within communities and addresses mental health from every angle: emotional, financial, social and academic.

This vision is coming to life at North Carolina Central University's Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic through HARMONY, a new initiative which stands for Helping to Access Reliable Mental Healthcare Opportunities for North Carolina Youth. The program is rooted in the belief that community, culture, and connection are lifelines for youth mental health in Durham and beyond.

The program doesn't wait for young people to seek help; instead, it integrates mental health support into their daily lives by equipping the adults they trust most - teachers, counselors, faith leaders and mentors - with the knowledge and tools to become true mental health allies. Through training in the evidence-based Stress First Aid model, HARMONY prepares these trusted adults to recognize early signs of stress and provide support before concerns escalate into crises. The program also expands telehealth services, making it easier to access needed care, and its youth engagement initiatives encourage honest conversations that chip away at stigma.

Blue Cross NC Foundation grantmaking helped launch HARMONY - part of an effort to advance community-based youth mental health solutions. This effort meets the youth mental health crisis with solutions shaped by the unique needs, and strengths, of our communities.

Established with early support from Blue Cross NC and other partners, NCCU's ECCRC offers affordable counseling services, expanding access to mental health care for students. The clinic also serves as a training ground for future master's and doctoral-level mental health professionals, ensuring that tomorrow's providers are steeped in principles of cultural awareness and community wellness. Other collaborative efforts, like the Finish Line Scholarship for NCCU senior student-athletes, recognize that financial security and academic support are equally as important to ensuring student well-being now and into the future.

To truly address the youth mental health crisis, it's time for all of us -health care providers, educators, policymakers and community leaders - to unite and commit to reimagining care. By scaling innovative, community-focused models like NCCU's, we can finally give our young people the support they deserve.

For additional information about ECCRC and HARMONY, contact [email protected] or call 919-530-5180.

Colleen Briggs, president, Blue Cross NC Foundation, and Jeffrey Warren, associate dean, North Carolina Central School of Education and Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic.