Orange County Resilience Project Provides Recommendations to Support Children’s Mental Wellbeing

Middletown, NY – In light of the nation’s youth mental health crisis, as was underscored by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the Children’s Hospital Associations and the new U.S. Surgeon General at the end of 2021, the Orange County Resilience Project is issuing a list of recommendations to help support the well-being of children and their families. Project Chair and Cornell Cooperative Extension Resilience Educator, Julika von Stackelberg, states that “all the resources included in the recommendations of the Orange County Resilience Project are available at no cost and provide an excellent foundation that will support children’s mental health.”

The Orange County Resilience Project launched four years ago as a cross-sectoral initiative that seeks to promote a resilient, and inclusive community. Partners acknowledge the impact of trauma and adversities on the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The Project’s mission is therefore to promote resilience by increasing awareness and creating a supportive community that provides opportunities for safety, connection, healing, and growth.

Commissioner of Mental Health and Social Services, Darcie Miller says “the project’s partners have been working on determining the most impactful approaches to meet the mission, which turn out to be incredibly timely for Orange County.” The goal of the initiative is to encourage organizations, school districts, health care providers, human service partners, educational institutions, and community members at large to take advantage of the resources listed in the recommendations.

The Orange County Resilience Project welcomes new members! For more information, contact Julika von Stackelberg (845) 344-1234 or jv426@cornell.edu.

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.

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