Receive quarterly updates, articles and information on the System of Care in Monroe County.
SWAT (Spreading Wellness Around Town) Youth Council
Got issues? Want to make a difference in your life and the lives of other youths like you?
SWAT Youth Council is a group of youth who meet once a month, every 4th Tuesday at Better Days Ahead (see the Event Calendar for dates and times) to learn about a variety of topics relating to anything from leadership skills, wellness, community issues and mental hygiene.
The youth who participate are not only coming to learn something but also to give back. They're giving back to the system by voicing their ideas and opinions about how well the mental health system is or isn't working for them. There are some things that work and some things that could be done better or even created where nothing existed before. Youth are the ones System of Care wants to hear from and be involved in the decision-making process.
SWAT is run and managed by a team of youth who meet weekly. They work on things such as:
- advocating for change to have support services become more youth guided
- providing their perspectives and experiences of youth to system leaders, service providers and other partners
- participating in other System of Care work groups and committees by brining youth voice and culture to the decision-making process
- providing a forum, the Open Meetings every 4th Tuesday of the each month, for youth to discuss issues they face living with a mental health challenge and suggest ideas for better support
- reducing stigma associated with having a serious emotional disturbance (SED), also called a mental illness
- participating in evaluating Monroe County ACCESS's success in meeting its goals
Contact Jerard Johnson, Youth Coordinator, for more information at (585) 753-2695 or email at jerjohnson@monroecounty.gov and remember to check out the Event Calendar to find out when the next Open Meeting is scheduled.
Coming soon - a website Just for Youth!
Download PDF(s)
- Youth Outcomes in Systems of Care – "Working Together to Help Youth Thrive in Schools and Communities" (download)
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Updates & What's New
Final Issue of the "Hear and
Now" Herald - Sign In to
Access the Newsletter. - NEW
The Monroe County ACCESS grant
has ended but it's just the beginning,
or more accurately, the continuation
of the transformation happening
throughout the child-serving
system in Monroe County.
Another words, the System of
Care is here to stay.
Sign in now to view the newsletter!
System of Care Leadership
Endorse Guiding Principles - NEW
Leadership from across the child-serving
system: Child & Family Services, Office
of Probation & Community Corrections,
Office of Mental Health, and the
Rochester/Monroe County Youth
Bureau have endorsed a shared set
of guding principles, the "Monroe
County Children's System of
Care Guiding Principles"
The Monroe County ACCESS grant
has come to an end but the System
of Care is here to stay.
New Mental Health Clinic opens
Just for youth! - NEW
System of Care values in action!
Great article on Cayuga Center
using SWAT Youth Council input
into the development of their new clinic.
Read the full article in the
Democrat and Chronicle.
MENTAL HEALTH: Roundtales
lets parents help parents
It's not your fault. And you're not alone.
Those are the messages that Marjorie Lefler
says the families of children with several
emotional, mental health, or behavioral
challenges need to hear.
Read the full article in City Newspaper.
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Funding for this website was made possible (in part) by Grant No. SM57043 from SAMHSA and in partnership with the Monroe County Office of Mental Health. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.