MYLC members advise Mayor Joe Hogsett and city leaders on issues affecting local youth. Until my conversation with Brandon, I forgot MCCOY helps facilitate the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council (MYLC). The directory is now in its 26 th year of publication. We’re talking lifesaving stuff here for parents. Employment information for older youth is in there as well. Not only did it help solve the dilemma of what to do with my son during the summer, but it provided information on school and year-round activities. I learned about organizations and activities I probably would not have otherwise - or at least not as quickly. I scoured those pages, highlighting activities I thought would interest my son, keep him busy and his mind occupied. For a transplant to Indianapolis with a young son, finding the annual Youth Activity Directory was like finding gold. I first discovered this treasure trove of youth activities back in the early aughts. I learned about the organization through the directory as well. Now, you may have heard of MCCOY before through their annual Youth Activity Directory but didn’t realize the nonprofit did much more. What matters is that our children have the resources they need to be healthy and happy and become healthy, happy, productive adults. What matters is that our children are hurting. I won’t argue whether it’s harder or easier to grow up today than in the past because it doesn’t matter and it’s silly.
#Maccy mccoy how to#
Those who take the YMHFA course learn how to identify signs of mental health issues in youth. MCCOY and the National Alliance on Mental Illness offer the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) certification course. We now know mental health issues may look different in our youth than in adults, and we now know many of our youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. We now know mental trauma lingers after physical wounds have long healed. I wondered about if the mental health of these and other children who face traumatic incidents and situations will be just as important as their physical healing. That brings me back to the shootings over the weekend. Mental Health Matters serves those who are disproportionately underserved and may not have access to resources. The pandemic helped erase some of the stigma associated with mental health issues for both adults and children, making it easier to have programs such as these. It’s a multi-pronged approach to helping today’s youth understand the importance of mental health and how to take care of their mental health.
According to its website, MCCOY’s goal is “to increase our community’s ability to support young people as they grow into healthy adults and we meet that goal by being a catalyst, by making things happen and sparking positive change.”ĭuring our conversation, Brandon shared information about some of MCCOY’s more recent initiatives such as Mental Health Matters. Known as an intermediary nonprofit, MCCOY does most of its work behind the scenes, supporting other youth-serving organizations in their work. MCCOY - as the name suggests - is all about youth. As I read about children who were shot over the weekend, I reflected on a recent conversation with John Brandon, executive director and president of Marion County Commission on Youth, or MCCOY as its more commonly known.
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