Mental Health Awareness Month Blog
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UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland YU/Castlemont Health Clinic
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Greetings!
Youth UpRising has continued to serve and support our members and the greater community during this difficult time.
Our Health & Wellness department is providing case management and counseling services by phone and video chat and we have continued to host YU peer groups such as Sister Circle and Man Up via Zoom. Likewise, YU’s youth leadership cohort, Rise Up has been meeting weekly to discuss the challenges that youth face during this time and brainstorming solutions and ideas to better assist our members. Our Career & Education and Arts & Expression departments are providing one-on-one coaching and a myriad of classes and info sessions through our social media channels and video chat. Due to the exponential increase of community members in need of resources and supportive services, YU has implemented a virtual intake process to quickly provide membership for youth ages 13-24.
We have also optimized and expanded our 'giveaway' program from a monthly event to a weekly occurrence and have since given out 600+ grocery bags and 300+ diaper packs to families in Oakland.
We have launched a page on our website that is focused on YU operations and resources as it pertains to COVID-19.
You can access it here.
Information will be updated regularly on:
- Virtual YU programming/services
- Becoming a YU member virtually
- YU staff contacts
- Community resources
- General updates
We remain a resource to the community; our virtual business hours are Monday - Friday 9am – 5:30pm. General inquiries can be directed to (510) 777-9909.
Please read on to find out how YU is currently providing support, and make sure to click to read more if your e-mail provider has clipped our newsletter. We hope that you will help us spread the word!
Stay safe and remain hopeful. We will get through this together.
-The YU Team
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Immediately following our building's closure due to the shelter in place order, we moved to offer our programming virtually to continue supporting our members. Updates on our workshops, live talks and community resources are shared across YU social media platforms daily.
Arts & Expression
The A&E crew has been proactive in using social media in creative and inventive ways to reach out to our members. We have hosted mini-workshops, tutorials, dance battles, challenges, and more to engage and provide some sense normalcy to our youth in these uncertain times. Because we understand that not all youth will have access to the tech or software mediums provided to them in the Center, our tutorials and workshops are tailored to technology that youth can more readily access at home including free photography and music apps.
Career & Education
Members can currently access one-on-one career coaching appointments, case management, tutoring, and other group offerings (such as meditation) on Google hangouts. The C&E team have created a social media campaign that includes videos on resumé and cover letter writing, job search, life skills, and more.
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Health & Wellness
Our telehealth counseling sessions are made available to our members through confidential phone and video sessions. YU continues to provide mental health support at no cost to our members.
Our case managers have upped their caseload to not only ensure that our members have access to necessary resources, but to also provide critical emotional support.
All of our group offerings have continued via video chat so that members are able to stay connected to staff and each other, and talk through their shared and unique experiences.
For Health & Wellness department questions or appointments contact:
Briahn Badelle
,
LCSW
- YU Health & Wellness Director
, at: (510) 863-4119
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Virtual YU Membership
As young people are in high need of support during this time, YU wants to ensure that the lack of a physical center is not a barrier for access to care. We are now able to complete intake assessments and membership applications online and over the phone. Watch our video
here
, to find out more.
Call or Text: Elisa Johnson, YU Intake Case Manager at: (510) 592-4197
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Weekly Grocery Bag Giveaway
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In response to COVID-19, Youth UpRising has expanded our grocery bag giveaway services from monthly to a weekly basis, and all community members are welcome.
In partnership with the Alameda County Food Bank, YU provides a variety of grocery items that change weekly and include fresh and canned items. Some weeks, based on availability, we have also been able to include face masks and hygiene kits, and were delighted to provide a children’s books in English and Spanish. Diapers are handed out as they become available. No advance sign-up is necessary.
The Food for Families in East Oakland Covid Relief Project is supported by a grant from the San Francisco Foundation.
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600 BAGS DONATED SO FAR.
ALL DONATIONS UNTIL JUNE 30 GO TOWARDS FOOD.
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Our
YU Works
, seven-person crew serve as essential workers and have continued to maintain 57 Oakland Housing Authority properties in East Oakland as well as Kadango Castlemont Center. We are proud of their contribution to ensuring our community is safe by providing landscape and cleaning services. Our crew has been working hard, maintaining ten to twelve properties a day during the week.
YU Works is one of our social enterprise programs that provide employment and job training to our members. The program has been operating in partnership with Five Keys who place formerly incarcerated individuals and people currently or formerly experiencing homelessness directly into transitional employment positions. Five Keys allows us to provide more comprehensive services and uninterrupted support to our justice-involved youth as they transition from incarceration. Among the highlights of this partnership is a GED class that Five Key’s holds on-site.
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Oakland Police Department PPE Donation
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Thank you to the Oakland Police Department and Deputy Police Chief Leronne Armstrong and Sergeant Omar Ashford for stopping by YU recently and donating masks to aid us in ensuring our members, staff and community are safe.
At a time when personal protective equipment can be challenging to obtain, but necessary to ensure safety for all, we greatly appreciate OPD sharing these with YU as they have with many other youth serving organizations in Oakland. Thank you!
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(Left to Right) Iris Merriouns, YU Board Chair; Leronne Armstrong, OPD Deputy Police Chief; Vince Burton, YU Facilities and Sergeant Omar Ashford .
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Mental Health Awareness Month Blog
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Self Care Tips For Young People During COVID-19
By Briahn Badelle, LCSW - YU Director of Health & Wellness
May is Mental Health Awareness month and with the current challenges that our community, and the greater world are facing, many are struggling with their mental health. Youth UpRising’s Health & Wellness department is sharing 7 simple tips for our young people and community to incorporate into their daily lives to help take better care of themselves during this pandemic.
1. Get Enough Sleep
- 8 hours of sleep a day is optimal.
- Remember, if you aren’t getting enough sleep, your brain isn’t functioning at 100%.
- Participate in YU’s meditation class and incorporate this practice at night to help you relax and cue up a calming playlist to doze off to.
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Instagram Live: Info on COVID-19
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Briahn Badelle, Youth UpRising’s Health & Wellness Director hosted a chat on Youth UpRising’s Instagram Live with Jahmil Lacey, a former YU staff member and founder of
Trap Medicine
. The organization's mission is to shift the praxis, narrative, and culture of men’s health through the barbershop.
Jahmil, who was recently
interviewed on NPR
on the topic, shared information to combat myths about the coronavirus, the importance of protecting ourselves and our community, and types of personal protective gear and how to properly wear them. YU members who tuned in asked insightful questions that Jahmil and a handful of Black doctors chat-answered. They also provided additional tips to stay safe. Our members gave feedback that the talk was helpful and informative.
Youth UpRising would like to congratulate Jahmil on his acceptance with a full scholarship to, Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program! We remain in awe by the many continued accomplishments of our YU family, they make us proud.
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Instagram Live: YU Dance Party
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Youth UpRising’s Rise Up team hosted several Instagram live dance parties on YU’s account with
DJ Kleptic
, a former member who credits YU with launching his DJ career. The online parties are an extension of ‘Fun Fridays,’ that Rise Up hosted at YU. The virtual parties are aimed to provide a fun and uplifting outlet to bring our youth community together. Members, staff and community members commented during the livestream, creating a chat room where they laughed, “danced” with emojis and in real life. We were told quite a few members got a good work out in and felt a little bit of normalcy.
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UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland YU/Castlemont Health Clinic
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The clinic is providing in-person appointments on Wednesday's from 8:30am to 4:30pm and telehealth appointments.
Call in advance: (510) 428-3556
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- Primary & mental health services
- Individual, family, & group therapy
- Sexually-transmitted infection testing
- School/sports physicals
- Routine immunizations
- Management of chronic medical conditions
- Lab services
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YU Endorses Oakland Youth Vote
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Youth UpRising is here today because of the activism and leadership of young people. We continue to provide and advocate for meaningful opportunities for youth voice and civic engagement in our community.
Oakland Youth Vote (OYV)
was initiated by Oakland young people and will give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in School Board elections. Studies show measures like this will create life-long voters and increase voter turn-out.
We are proud to officially endorse OYV, along with many Oakland youth serving organizations including Oakland Kids First, Youth Together, EOYDC, Youth Speaks and more. The Oakland City Council, unanimously voted to pass the OYV resolution, at the May 19, 2020 meeting. Oakland Youth Vote will be on the November ballot! Congratulations to all of the student organizers and organizations who worked so hard to make this a reality!
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Click
here
for more information.
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Thank you for your support!
YU is dedicated to providing services and opportunities for youth and the community at large. We would not exist without supporters like you.
Please make an online donation!
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