Welcome to "Every Voice Heard"!
Written by Jacob Crowley. Jacob is a rising senior at Illinois State University and is currently interning with The 16 Strong Project.
Here at the 16 Strong Project, we stress the education of proactive mental health strategies to adolescents who may have encountered adverse childhood experiences. Our mission is to assist young people in recognizing unhealthy family behavior or addiction and equipping these individuals with proper knowledge and coping mechanisms.
For such a common phenomena, the discussion of mental health has been painted to be “taboo” or an “adult conversation”. However, 1 out of 5 children have parents who suffer from mental illness or addiction. In addition, 2 out of 3 kids experience at least one adverse childhood experience by the age of 18. Young adults may not seek out help in fear of their image and the 16 Strong Project respects that perspective. Therefore, we provide resources to youth in a non- clinical, interactive format which gives perspective and knowledge to name their feelings.
To help others who are seeking advice or clarity, we are happy to announce the launch of our Every Voice Heard initiative. This platform will focus on delivering mental health information in a way that is clear and comprehensive. The best way to achieve this is spotlighting the real life stories many face every day. Establishing a personal connection to the stories told can help bring clarity and eliminate feelings of loneliness. Volunteer stories will always be accepted and will remain anonymous unless personal consent is given.
We aspire to establish a community where youth can feel welcome to share their experiences without fear of judgement. Mental health continues to become a more widely accepted topic, but for those who struggle to make the commitment for therapy or counseling, we are here for you. The 16 Strong Project is eager to make their impact.
If you are interested in joining the movement and contributing to 16 Strong’s Every Voice Heard initiative, click here or send us an email at 16strongproject@gmail.com.