What kids need, now more than ever
At YES, we see kids every day who are suffering from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and more. How can we break the cycle?
Our highly trained clinicians came up with this list of five things kids need right now to be happy and successful and how YES can help:
Early intervention
How YES helps: Mental health issues typically emerge in childhood or adolescence, but treatment often doesn’t follow until years later. We exist to interrupt and redirect that trajectory. Our interventions start at birth — helping parents understand and regulate their child’s behavior, build a strong and stable relationship with their child, ensure that their child is meeting developmental milestones and more — and continue all the way up to age 22.
A safety net
How YES helps: Life is uncertain. A job loss or illness can cost a hard-working family their livelihood. YES is here to support families on the edge. Since our Youth & Family Homelessness Prevention Program launched, we’ve already kept over 100 families from losing their homes. And we never turn young people and families away; our services are available to all, regardless of financial circumstances.
Skills to cope with stress
How YES helps: Our 16-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Groups empower teens with the skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation. Research shows that DBT effectively treats a variety of common mental health issues. We also work with every young person who comes through our doors on healthy decision-making and stress management.
Support that meets them where they are
How YES helps: Our counselors see young people as the agents of their own change. This team-oriented approach is what creates lasting well-being. And we’re available where kids need us — at more than 50 sites across the Eastside, including schools, offering care and support in multiple languages.
A sustained sense of connection and belonging
How YES helps: Healthy communities reinforce sound decision-making. We offer programs like BGLAD, a support group for LGBTQ+ teens; Latino H.E.A.T. and Latinos Unidos, which support Hispanic high school students by providing paths for leadership and community involvement; and Life in Recovery, a group that helps teens recovering from addiction maintain their sobriety.
If you or someone you know (age birth to 22) is struggling with anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, bullying or other issues related to mental health. Please contact us to schedule an appointment at 425-747-4937 or visit us at our Bellevue location during our walk-in Open Access hours (Tuesday and Thursday 12 – 4 P.M.).
