Greensboro Teens Help Launch YMCA Statewide Teen Mental Health Advisory Council

On October 11-12, 2025, teens from across North Carolina—and right here in Greensboro—gathered at the YMCA of Greensboro’s Camp Weaver to launch the YMCA’s inaugural NC State Teen Mental Health Advisory Council (TMAC).  

The council is comprised of 31 high school students, including several from Greensboro and surrounding Guilford County communities. Their mission: to foster a supportive community where teens thrive mentally, emotionally and socially. Through collaboration, advocacy and education, they aim to build a foundation that promotes mental wellbeing, resilience and inclusivity for all teens in North Carolina.   

“This started right here in Greensboro,” said Eric Graves, Association Teen Director for the YMCA of Greensboro. “After piloting a local teen mental health council last year, we saw the impact of creating space for teens to share their experiences, support one another and advocate at the local level for mental health support. We saw an opportunity to expand this work statewide.”

The Greensboro Y hosted the council’s first official gathering, which included team-building activities at the camp’s low ropes course, education and planning for the year ahead. The teens will elect their peers in leadership roles and form a marketing committee and a service committee. The TMAC will meet virtually twice a month and in person again in May 2026 when the teens bring their policy recommendations to their state legislators, and they will plan local training and events as part of their charter.  

“Programs like this make you remember that you’re still a kid, and I mean that is the most positive way. This weekend I felt free from judgment and like I was with people that really care about me,” said Shane Grafton, a 10th grader serving on the council. Carrie Watkins, MSW, LCSWA, a counselor at Family Solutions of the Triad, serves as an advisor to the group and will provide the teens with mental health education and connections to local resources in their own communities.

The YMCA of Greensboro, along with other YMCAs in the state, has funding from the NC Alliance of YMCAs to incorporate resilience-building skills and strategies to support teens’ well-being and to normalize conversations around mental health YMCAs have developed a variety of approaches, programs and events for teens as a result.  

“The Mental health of teens in our state is a critical issue,” said Rhonda Anderson, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greensboro. “This council is about more than awareness—it’s about action. By giving teens tools and opportunities to lead, we’re creating a future where mental well-being is prioritized, stigma is reduced, and every teen knows they matter.”