Over the past two years, four Washington communities came together through the Youth Wellness Zones Collaborative to explore a neighborhood-first approach to advancing youth mental health and wellbeing. Supported by PBSCI’s CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy, the collaborative brought together local leaders to strengthen community partnerships, test new ideas, and reimagine how youth wellness can be supported as a shared community responsibility. Together, the Collaborative:

• Secured a $1 million legislative proviso to advance and evaluate neighborhood-first strategies
• Helped launch six new community programs and services
• Strengthened connections among schools, treatment providers, community organizations, and government leaders
• Engaged hundreds of community members and service providers in local planning efforts

To highlight this work, CoLab created an online story that looks back on the program from how it began to what the four communities accomplished together. It shares the insights that emerged through the collaborative, including the key ingredients communities identified for developing and sustaining Youth Wellness Zones. Read the story here