School work, grades, exams, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, college and career decisions to be made–even before the pandemic, Juma Youth were balancing extraordinary demands on their time and energy. Add to that the stressors of living in or coming from a background of an underserved community–lack of access to resources, financial struggles, living further from jobs in the city and spending longer periods on public transit–and their resilience is even more inspiring. 

With all of these struggles, alongside career and life skills, another avenue of growth Juma aims to help youth explore is self-care. With the help of Credible Mind, a group of academicians and scientists who are committed to helping people get access to the best resources for their self-care, Juma is tackling mental health with videos, articles, podcasts, and custom content to give Juma youth the tools they need to understand their own mental health.

Credible Mind’s offerings are available through a custom online platform that Juma youth can access from any computer or smartphone. Users can begin by taking assessments to help gauge their personal needs; assessments range from a full mental-health profile covering topics like anxiety, personal loss, happiness, etc., to more specialized topics like career burnout and social support. At the end of each assessment, users are given easy-to-read scores with an explanation of what the scores mean. In addition, they’re guided toward specific resources on Credible Mind which can help with their specific needs.

With offerings for visual, verbal, and auditory learners, Credible Mind gives users a chance to take charge of their mental health and self-care journeys in a way that works for their personal learning style. The platform also ensures that topics which are likely to be affecting many Juma youth are clear and readily available. The site hosts collections of resources dedicated to the effects of Covid, back to school anxiety, racial trauma, and more.

And Juma staff aren’t just encouraging Juma youth to take advantage of the help that Credible Mind offers–they’re also working on their own mental health and coping skills with resources curated just for them. 

While resources like the ones offered on Credible Mind can be very helpful for assessing one’s mental health needs and working toward solutions, the platform also suggests when it’s time to call in a mental health expert. When a user’s answers to an assessment suggest they might need further help, Credible Mind recommends speaking to a professional and offers a host of resources for understanding the goals of therapy and how to seek it out.

With young people today under more pressure than ever, Credible Mind is a first step toward opening a dialogue about mental health. As we work toward a brighter future, through this partnership, we hope that Juma youth, staff, and volunteers will find the resources they need to learn about themselves and continue to grow in self-care.