Making Healthful Decisions Conference discussed youth mental health, wellbeing and growth

Middletown – Youth well-being and mental health were discussed by Cornell Cooperative Extensions of Delaware, Orange, and Sullivan Counties, and their organizing partners including Garnet Health, Maternal-Infant Services Network (MISN), Mount Saint Mary College, Sullivan 180, Warwick Valley Community Center, and Westchester Government, at the 24th annual Making Healthful Decisions Conference on December 7th and 8th . Over 100 people from across New York State attended the program, which included a keynote presentation by Dr. Marlen Gonzalez, Assistant Professor of Human Development at the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University on Community Neuroscience: How Context Shapes Children’s Brains and Why We Should Care.

In addition to the nine workshops that were held over two days, including Understanding Resilience, Healthy Relationships, Act for Change, and others, Henri Prevost, a 2020 graduate of Warwick Valley High School, moderated a lively panel discussion that addressed cultivating critical hope for young people.

Executive Director of the Orange County Human Rights Commission, Inaudy Esposito, shared her own experience growing up as a young immigrant and the adjustments that many young people in our communities face. Dr. Brooke Balcham, who was part of the New York State Education Department’s Reopening Schools Regional Task Force talked about the fragile state of mental health in children and youth and how we must sound the alarm for struggling kids.

Karl Bertrand, who has over 30 years of experience in forging innovative collaborations to address social problems impacting the poor, and particularly children and youth, presented the audience with nine concrete concepts that support the wellbeing of young people. The points Karl made were well received, and the attendees encouraged him to start a special Facebook page just for those nuggets of wisdom. Jessica Grimm, who represented the Bravehearts in Westchester County, made a compelling case for the need to “not just help children in need,” but to equip them with the tools they need to navigate their lives on their own in the long term.

Lastly, Arianna Smith, a senior at Suffern High School, talked about various student-led peer-to-peer activities and initiatives that aim to destigmatize mental health challenges and support mental wellbeing. She shared that offering peer-to-peer support was one of the most effective strategies that helped her and others navigate the changes and hardship brought on by the pandemic.

The conference was made possible with the support from Garnet Health, the Orange County Youth Bureau, the United Way, and the Child Care Council of Orange County. The recordings of all sessions are available for viewing at no cost on the Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County’s YouTube channel: CCE Orange.

Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs for Orange County residents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell based research. Committed to Orange County, we design programs to meet local needs to enable people to improve their lives and communities. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County at 845-344-1234 or visit our website at www.cceorangecounty.org.