JFS’ YouBeYou program and accompanying website youbeyou.us connects youth, parents and educators to mental health, suicide prevention and wellness resources to integrate mind, body and soul through the journey of life.
As the landscape of mental health has evolved over the last several years, so has YouBeYou. Originally launched in 2017 as a campaign to reduce the stigma of mental health with youth, YouBeYou is now a free program that provides evidence-based approaches to bring hope, help, and strength to our neighborhood communities.
YouBeYou is tailored to fit the needs of each school. A few of these approaches include:
- Visual materials to promote positive social norming, Progress Not Perfection
- On-site/virtual therapeutic counseling
- Sources of Strength Adult & Youth Training
- Signs of Suicide Access & Training
- Raised with Love & Limits: Behavior Checker
- View the complete list of Youth Health and Wellness Services
To learn more about becoming a YouBeYou participating school, email info@youbeyou.us.
For more youth mental health and suicide prevention resources, visit youbeyou.us.
YouBeYou is funded in part by the
Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County
History of YouBeYou
Many teens struggle to manage the stresses and pressures in their lives from home, school, and social media. For some, these pressures lead to diminished self-esteem, depression or even suicide.
The goal of “You Be You” is to reach teens with a positive message of self-worth and value, as well as reinforce the idea that one doesn’t need to be perfect. Being yourself is good enough.
Bernstein-Rein Advertising donated creative services to develop a campaign aimed at reaching teens year-round, both in and out of school. “You Be You” incorporates compelling messages and appropriate elements to best reach adolescents. Teen focus groups informed the strategy and young professionals participated in the creative process as well as the development of messages. The teen campaign’s initial sponsor was Speak Up, a group started by three local families who lost children to suicide. The campaign has since grown into a complete program implemented in Kansas City metro area schools.
YouBeYou Swag
