‘Common thread’ of hope for youth mental health crisis at Wolfson Hospital | Opinion

Across Florida, the numbers are staggering: The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that more than 325,000 adolescents in Florida experience a major depressive episode each year and over 200,000 seriously consider suicide.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows that suicide is now the second leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States.

The truth is that mental health challenges are no longer an exception in childhood. They are part of everyday life for far too many families.

Here in Northeast Florida, parents, teachers and health providers have seen the crisis building. A growing number of children are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma and isolation. For many families, access to care is limited, confusing or delayed. For others, stigma and silence create barriers. The consequences are heartbreaking and avoidable.

That is why a new effort is taking shape in the region: Common Thread, an education and awareness initiative created by Wolfson Children’s Hospital to confront youth mental health challenges with clarity, compassion and community action.

Common Thread was designed by local behavioral health experts to strengthen the protective factors that help kids stay mentally well. Its mission is to weave mental wellness into everyday life for children and teens through three practical threads:

•  Awareness — reducing stigma and making mental health part of normal conversation through community events and online content.
• Education — offering free, age-appropriate tools to parents, caregivers and youth.
•  Community resources — connecting families to trusted local supports and behavioral health providers before crisis strikes.

This is not a one-time campaign. It is an investment in the social and emotional health of children across North Florida and South Georgia, made possible through collaboration, not just care.

As director of behavioral health services at Simply Healthcare Plans, I have seen the growing need for early, community-based mental health solutions for youth. That is why Simply Healthcare provided philanthropic support to help launch Common Thread. We view this kind of partnership as essential to addressing the root causes of Florida’s youth mental health crisis.

Our parent company has documented a nearly 30% increase in youth self-harm and suicide-related diagnoses during the pandemic. We understand that whole-person care — mental, physical and social — must start long before a child ends up in crisis. Common Thread helps make that possible.

By supporting Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Simply Healthcare is helping reach families where they are: in schools, neighborhoods, community centers and living rooms, not just clinics. It is the kind of public-private partnership that advances prevention, early intervention and connections to the support families need most.

This work is especially important now. Common Thread replaces Wolfson Children’s previous use of a national campaign with something built locally, rooted in the challenges families face and shaped by the assets our community has.

The program complements the hospital’s expanded inpatient behavioral health unit, its 24/7 Kids & Teens Helpline and a growing set of outpatient and day-treatment services that offer full-spectrum care. Together, these efforts form a safety net for children’s mental health, but continued investment and leadership will be needed to sustain it.

Policymakers have begun to respond. Last year, state funding helped Wolfson Children’s double its pediatric behavioral health inpatient capacity. That is a critical step forward, but building healthy futures for kids will require equal attention to prevention.

That is where Common Thread fits within the program. The support of collaborators like Simply Healthcare should be recognized. It is not just that Simply Healthcare provided funding — they showed up when it mattered, with a willingness to help build something sustainable, locally tailored and scalable.

This example should inspire others. Community organizations, schools, religious leaders and elected officials all have a role to play in reducing stigma, promoting mental wellness and ensuring children know they are not alone. Families, educators and civic leaders across North Florida are encouraged to explore what Common Thread offers.

It is a new kind of starting point, one that brings mental health out of the shadows and into the center of childhood, where it belongs.

Mental health is not a side issue; it is the common thread running through every child’s potential, and now, thanks to leadership and collaboration, we have a clearer path to support it.

To learn more, visit WolfsonChildrens.com/CommonThread/.