Coalition To Empower Our Future Hosts Summit On Youth Mental Health With Punchbowl News
The Coalition to Empower our Future (CEF) partnered with Punchbowl News to host the Summit on Youth Mental Health, an event focused on discussing the complexity of youth mental health and highlighting the need for comprehensive, not one-off, solutions to the challenges young people face.
View from Coalition to Empower our Future, Featuring Board Member and U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo
CEF Board Member and former U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) participated in a fireside chat with Punchbowl News Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anna Palmer, stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to youth mental health and the unintended consequences of one-size-fits-all solutions.
“If we really want to solve this, if we want to be serious about it, it cannot be a check-the-box exercise…it can’t be [to] restrict or punish technology, that’s not going to yield any big results.” — Carlos Curbelo, board member, CEF
Bipartisan Panel Featuring Co-Chairs of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus
U.S. Representatives Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Andrea Salinas (D-OR), two co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Mental Health Caucus, also sat down with Palmer. They discussed a broad range of solutions to the challenge that are often overlooked in the conversation on youth mental health, including community-based organizations, peer support programs and resources for schools to identify and support at-risk students early.
The representatives also mentioned some of the lessons they learned from their recent mental health roundtable with current middle school to college-aged students. Representative Salinas noted that a key “takeaway was that [students] were asking for more telehealth, more digital services…to meet them where they are.”
Expert Panel Featuring American Academy of Pediatrics, U.S. Soccer Foundation and the Afterschool Alliance
To close out the event, an expert panel featuring Nicole Owings-Fonner, director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, Ed Foster-Simeon, CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and Jodi Grant, executive director of Afterschool Alliance highlighted the importance of digital literacy education, after-school programs, sports, and trusted mentors and coaches in supporting youth wellbeing.
“We want to make sure that we’re explaining to parents how to have conversations with kids…the five C’s [of media use] is one way we’re working with professionals and parents to understand what is going on developmentally and what are healthy [technology] habits to strive for at home.” — Nicole Owings-Fonner, director, American Academy of Pediatrics National Center on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
“Youth sports is underestimated for its value in society…it’s a convening of young people, and it’s an opportunity for them to learn and grow in a fun environment with their peers…it’s another way to get kids active and engaged in their communities.” — Ed Foster-Simeon, CEO, U.S. Soccer Foundation
“[Our kids] need a place where they can belong, where they can have healthy interactions with other students, with caring adults, to feel seen and feel heard.” — Jodi Grant, executive director, Afterschool Alliance
Thank you to all of the event speakers and Punchbowl News for hosting a thoughtful event on the importance of comprehensive solutions to address this complex challenge and provide the meaningful support young people and families need.
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