THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 124 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 S.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE YMCA OF HONOLULU, TO SUPPORT THE MENTAL WELLNESS OF THE STATE'S YOUTH. THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 124 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 S.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 124 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 S.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE YMCA OF HONOLULU, TO SUPPORT THE MENTAL WELLNESS OF THE STATE'S YOUTH. WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted the State's youth, preventing them from meeting important social and developmental milestones and stripping them of healthy coping mechanisms, such as socializing with friends; and WHEREAS, recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety; and WHEREAS, in early 2021, emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by fifty-one percent for adolescent girls and four percent for adolescent boys compared to the same time period in early 2019; and WHEREAS, in June 2021, a national analysis of data collected from people seeking help with their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic ranked Hawaii as having the highest percentage of survey participants who reported thinking about or planning suicide; and WHEREAS, community organizations play an important role in promoting healthy development and supporting children, youth, and their families; and WHEREAS, the YMCA of Honolulu has a long track record of providing services for the youth of Hawaii and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, served over forty thousand youth annually through a variety of programs such as A+ After School Care, summer programs, camps, pre-school and early learning programs, aquatic programs, and teen leadership programs; and WHEREAS, the YMCA of Honolulu has proven success in working with youth and can provide a community-based approach to support youth at various points in their mental wellness pathway; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health and Department of Human Services are urged to work with community partners, including the YMCA of Honolulu, to support the mental wellness of the State's youth; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Honolulu. Report Title: YMCA of Honolulu; DOH; DHS; Youth Mental Wellness WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted the State's youth, preventing them from meeting important social and developmental milestones and stripping them of healthy coping mechanisms, such as socializing with friends; and WHEREAS, recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety; and WHEREAS, in early 2021, emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by fifty-one percent for adolescent girls and four percent for adolescent boys compared to the same time period in early 2019; and WHEREAS, in June 2021, a national analysis of data collected from people seeking help with their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic ranked Hawaii as having the highest percentage of survey participants who reported thinking about or planning suicide; and WHEREAS, community organizations play an important role in promoting healthy development and supporting children, youth, and their families; and WHEREAS, the YMCA of Honolulu has a long track record of providing services for the youth of Hawaii and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, served over forty thousand youth annually through a variety of programs such as A+ After School Care, summer programs, camps, pre-school and early learning programs, aquatic programs, and teen leadership programs; and WHEREAS, the YMCA of Honolulu has proven success in working with youth and can provide a community-based approach to support youth at various points in their mental wellness pathway; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health and Department of Human Services are urged to work with community partners, including the YMCA of Honolulu, to support the mental wellness of the State's youth; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of Human Services, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Honolulu. Report Title: YMCA of Honolulu; DOH; DHS; Youth Mental Wellness