What Makes Your Adolescent Program Effective & What Is Missing

Your program may already offer some of the key ingredients of an effective adolescent program, as presented by youth.gov:

• connectedness

• communication

• collaboration

• constructive activities

• opportunities for success in academics and social setting

However, many programs face a significant problem here in the United States as our young people suffer terribly.

The crisis

A 2016 research brief issued by Child Trends found that almost half of the children researched experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). ACEs such as depression, drug abuse, and poor physical health within the child’s family have been shown to have long-lasting negative physical and mental health effects well into adulthood. The study found that at least 1 in 9 children had experienced three or more ACEs, placing them in a high-risk category for adverse health outcomes, both mental and physical. Alarmingly, non-Hispanic black children have much higher rates of ACEs, situating them firmly in a much higher risk category.

More recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association issued a statement reporting that the rates of mental health challenges have risen sharply in children and adolescent populations during COVID-19. No surprise there. However, they observed that the pandemic exacerbated a pre-existing condition. They say, “Rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide rose steadily between 2010 and 2020, and by 2018 suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24.” As a result, these three professional organizations have declared a National State of Emergency in Children’s Mental Health.

The problem

Why do we have a national mental health emergency, existent even before the pandemic? Something is wrong. Something isn’t working. Something is missing in youth development programs, schools, behavioral health clinics, and our communities. From my perspective, having worked in schools and in the therapy room, we are not meeting some of the most essential needs of adolescents.

I have observed severe gaps in services in my work with adolescents as both a mental health counselor and an educator. Some to such a degree that the programs are actually doing more harm than good.

The adolescents I work with and those I have personal relationships with report the following in a wide variety of settings, including home, school, outpatient programs, chemical dependency programs, church groups, and community agencies:

• all manner of consistently invalidating experiences

• a lack of trust in the adults

• ongoing disrespectful communications from adults

• adults being emotionally dysregulated, leading teens to feel emotionally unsafe

• too many breaks in confidentiality, especially between service providers and parents/caregivers

• a distinct lack of understanding on the part of adults of what it means to be a teenager

• pressure to achieve expectations that are beyond their developmental capabilities

• very few attempts to inquire into the teenagers’ experiences and perspectives

• ongoing attempts to fix, protect, control, and problem solve issues rather than to collaborate with teens

Tools to support providers who support adolescents

Here are four qualities to develop that can vastly improve or perhaps even rescue adolescent support programs, youth development programs, schools, behavioral health, and inpatient programs. They are based on my personal and professional experiences and backed by sound research.

1. Staff are skilled in validating communication.

2. Staff know how to access their compassionate curiosity in the face of adolescents’ struggles and challenging behaviors and in the face of their own responses to these challenges.

3. Staff can consistently turn towards love and courage as antidotes to the fears that come up for our adolescents.

4. Finally, and, in my opinion, most importantly, staff have a deep and intimate knowledge of the essential nature of Adolescence as one of the most significant stages in a human life.

All of the constructive, productive, and collaborative activities and interactions with our teenagers, while enormously valuable, aren’t enough to counteract adverse childhood experiences or the emergent mental health crisis we are facing in our adolescent populations. However, it’s crucial we begin to take steps to address areas where we are failing the adolescents in our programs, organizations, and lives. These four tools that I offer lay the groundwork to explore and heal the systemic and deep-rooted nature of the wounded Adolescent psyche that our children, families, and communities are facing.

The stakes are high. The future of our children and even our world depend on healing this wound.