Kane County Youth Voices Forum on Mental Health
The Kane County Youth Voices Forum on Mental Health provides a platform for open dialogue and engagement between youth, educators, and mental health professionals. By fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, the Forum aims to amplify the voices of young people, allowing them to share their lived experiences, insights, and suggestions for enhancing mental health services in schools and communities. This aligns with our overarching mission to create a more responsive and empathetic approach to youth mental health care, ensuring that every young person feels heard, understood, and supported.
2026 Youth Voices Forum on Mental Health
The 2026 Kane County Youth Voices Forum on Mental Health brought together more than 100 high school students from 11 schools across Kane County to share their experiences and recommendations related to mental health, belonging, and well-being. Students identified anxiety, stress, burnout, loneliness, academic pressure, and social media influences as major challenges, while emphasizing that supportive relationships with peers, parents, caregivers, and trusted adults are among the most important protective factors for mental health.
Participants expressed a desire for more empathy, understanding, and relationship-centered approaches from adults, particularly when addressing attendance, academic struggles, and emotional challenges. While students recognized the value of school-based mental health services, they noted barriers such as stigma, limited access, and lack of awareness of community resources. Strengthening connections, increasing access to mental health supports, reducing stigma, and fostering supportive environments across schools, families, and community organizations are critical to improving youth mental health outcomes in Kane County.
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