Program gives adults the tools to bolster kids' self-esteem, mental well-being

The pandemic not only disrupted academic learning, but important socialization and skill building kids didn't get on their own.

Program organizers say there is a lack of mental health resources in the community and a huge need. On Thursday, adults were learning how to teach kids skills that will improve their mental health.

This training was the brainchild of Melanie McCabe, PhD, a psychologist with RDU Therapy.

"What you want to do is identify what emotion are they feeling that's leading to that behavior?" said McCabe. "We know that the past few years have been really tough for kids. The pandemic was a huge speed bump and life as they knew it was turned on its head."

"How to talk to other people, how to ask for what they need, how to say no, how to figure out what they're feeling and how to manage those feelings," said McCabe.

Half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"We want to make sure to get it early so that we can possibly get a different trajectory than where we are right now because what we're doing right now isn't working," said Christina Jones with Raleigh City Council.

This is the pilot program. Two hundred people are signed up for the sessions and 100 are on a waiting list for the next one. Everyone involved is volunteering their time and resources, including mental health specialist Christian Fisher.