Allegheny County youth to elected officials: We need mental health support, and your time.

WESA- Amere Turner, a senior at McKeesport High School, is one of several young people hoping local politicians will hear them and be inspired to action.

“Our voice can make a difference,” Turner said. “As long as we take the right steps and do it the right way, anybody can make a difference.”

The Youth Advisory Council of the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania hosted a round-table discussion with elected officials and staff to express youth concerns. Students were joined by Allegheny County Treasurer Erica Brusselars and staff from both Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office to record youth sentiment.

Marquise Wheeler, who directs program impact and partnerships for the Boys & Girls Club of Western PA, said his organization wanted to ensure young people’s voices are heard, especially by elected officials, as the work the youth council does is grounded in community-based involvement and brings valuable insight into local communities elected officials may not otherwise see.

“ Work that is not just grounded in talking about it, but actually, walking that walk and making actionable progress towards whatever goal the youth are engaging with,” Wheeler explained. “Creating and advocating for work that is ready to be delivered in the community programmatically.”

Students raised concerns regarding mental health, food insecurity, poverty, and education. Tayshawn Lyons, a junior at Shadyside Academy, also wants elected officials to be more regularly engaged with local youth-based organizations.

“So what we really wanna do is just voice all kinds of struggles, all kinds of viewpoints from every different part of Pittsburgh, every part of our county, because all of it matters,” Lyons said. “And I feel like they have the power to make change, and they can’t make change if they don’t really know the problem.”

These conversations didn’t come without proposed solutions; some students pushed for a statewide bill that would allow mental health days in schools as a means of addressing their mental health problems. They expressed the importance of youth-based organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and the need for more funding and direct involvement from politicians, as these groups are safe, development-focused places for young people.

They also called for more diversity training for teachers and school staff to help improve communication between students and administration.

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