On October 7, JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative joined New Vision Behavioral Health for a powerful Youth Mental Health and Empowerment Summit at Eckerd College with nearly 100 in attendance! View photos of the event in this album!

This 5^th Annual event focused on engaging young people in making healthy connections and finding the “why” in their lives, with a focus on destigmatizing mental health and the importance of selfcare. It also featured a track for parents and caregivers.

After the event, a youth attendee messaged one of the presenters, sharing their own struggles and thanking him for “making me realize I matter, and that people really care about me and would miss me.” 

And this is exactly why JWB will continue to bring young people together for healthy conversations and connections through our Children’s Mental Health Initiative. Learn more at jwbpinellas.org/childrens-mental-health-initiative/

Recently, JWB staff had the honor of attending the 2023 Pace Center for Girls Soiree, their annual awards dinner.

JWB was recognized as a Pace Champion for our investment in and support of their wraparound services. Our CEO, Beth, was interviewed for a short video shown at the event, and Denise McCabe, wife of former JWB Board Member Hon. Bernie McCabe, presented the award to our Director of Strategic Communications, April Putzulu, who accepted the award on JWB’s behalf.

Mrs. McCabe shared this: “Bernie joined the JWB Board in 2000, alongside his colleague and friend Bob Dillinger. Bernie cherished his service on the Juvenile Welfare Board: He was steadfast in his commitment to always do what was best for children, and his benchmark was, ‘Is it good for the kids?‘

As a longstanding member of the Board’s Finance Committee, Bernie was equally committed to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. He cared that the programs JWB funded were both fiscally sound and making a difference. In 2015, with Bernie and Bob at the table, the JWB Board approved funding for Pace Center for Girls for wrap-around support, including counseling and transition services.

If Bernie were here tonight, he would say that Pace passes his litmus test: They wisely use the funds invested by JWB….and it IS good for the kids!”

“The missions of JWB and Pace are closely aligned,” April said, as she accepted the award, a lovely heart-shaped sculpture. “Pace provides girls and young women opportunities for a better future…and JWB invests so all children will have equitable opportunity to fulfill their potential. Now more than ever, we understand the importance of healthy connections, self-care, and wellness for our youth. At JWB, it is our privilege, to support PACE in addressing the social-emotional and behavioral health needs of their girls.”

Two current JWB Board Members, Hon. Chris Latvala and Hon. Sara Mollo, were also in attendance for this very special night!

Enjoy these photos of the evening, courtesy of JWB Staff and Housh Ghovaee.

You can watch our CEO’s video message here: https://youtu.be/hc_uA6US0K4.

JWB’s 2023 Annual Out of School Time Conference titled “The Power of You” was held on September 29th. This was a hybrid professional development conference streamed live to watch parties across the County! It was also our largest conference yet, with 636 JWB funded agency out-of-school time staff registered.

Our CEO, Beth, kicked off the event, and JWB Training Specialist Jaime Cole was an energetic emcee!

There was a dynamic panel including Zaneta N. Ellison of New Vision Behavioral Health, Janielle McCullough with Evara Health, and Alana-Maria Luczak, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from USF. They shared practical tips to help kids thrive, to build community, and to proactively address discipline.

Herbie Mack, Suicide Interventionist, shared how our inherent superpowers can improve the wellness of youth.

OST staff attendees received superpower swag, connected through a social wall, asked questions directly of the speakers, and downloaded valuable resources for their programs. And we’ve heard from many attendees that they were inspired and recharged by the Conference and have rededicated themselves to their work with Pinellas County children.

You can enjoy a photo album of the event here, and we’ll be sharing a video of this event soon, as well.

The FOCUS Faith-Based Symposium on September 28th at Anona United Methodist Church centered on the role that faith-based and social service communities play in a post-pandemic Pinellas County.

JWB Community Engagement Advocate Joanne Reich moderated a panel including Directions for Living CEO April Lott; Sandnes Boulanger with Operation PAR, Inc.; and Gabriela Holton from CASA Pinellas.

Jeanine Evoli, JWB’s Director of Family Services Initiative, also spoke.

The event drew 125 attendees who were eager to network and explore resource tables representing 16 different community agencies.

We’ve shared a video of the event on the Faith-Based Partnerships page of our website so anyone can watch it on-demand.

A Facebook album of event photos has been published, as well.

With a packed auditorium of Pinellas County high schoolers, the 6^th Annual “Rising Above” Youth Explosion concluded its three-day event with a focus on teens and mental health on Friday, July 21^st.

The event was hosted by the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center, Juvenile Welfare Board, NAMI Pinellas, and St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus.

Highlights included a dramatic pantomime skit that depicted how mental illness affect youth and families, performed by students from the City of Clearwater’s North Greenwood Recreation Center, Arts Conservatory for Teens, and Gibbs High School. The performance was followed by a panel of youth with lived mental health experiences who courageously shared their journeys and fielded questions from their peers.

In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a rare public health advisory on youth mental health to address what he called an emerging crisis exacerbated by pandemic hardships. In May 2023, the Surgeon General once again issued a warning to Americans, calling the use of social media by children and adolescents an “urgent public health issue.”

The Juvenile Welfare Board invests in the Pinellas Children’s Mental Health Initiative, partnering with more than 100 organizations to intervene early in the lives of children, destigmatize mental illness, and host youth suicide prevention conversations to grow hope. The goal is to make caring for one’s mental health synonymous with one’s physical health.

“One day, we will only need to say health and it will be understood we mean a child’s physical and mental health,” added Rebecca Albert, Senior Strategic Initiative Manager with the Juvenile Welfare Board, who oversees the Children’s Mental Health Initiative.

To learn more visit: www.jwbpinellas.org/childrens-mental-health

View the event Facebook album.

Featured photos and video clips from the event are available to media upon request. Email communications@jwbpinellas.org.

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