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MILWAUKEE — Leaders from organizations such as Rawhide Youth Services and Rogers Behavioral Health said they are grateful that Gov. Tony Evers continues to shine a spotlight on teen mental health issues.
In his State of the State Address, Evers mentioned that youth continue to report highly concerning levels of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Teresa Buss is a clinical therapist supervisor for the Milwaukee chapter of Rawhide Youth Services, which partners with several Milwaukee schools to offer therapy services.
Buss said it was not a surprise that the office of mental health reported 1-in-10 Wisconsin teens have attempted suicide and half of the state’s LGBTQ youth have considered it.
“This is where we hit when people get internal and they can’t see any way out and they opt to take their lives. So for Evers to say, ‘Hey this is a real thing. We need to deal with this,’ I think now it will open up avenues to why this even happens because mental health is a symptom of other things,” Buss said.
Buss said there has also been a shift in teens reaching out to say that they need help, which Buss has seen in schools and beyond.
The organization’s work isn’t limited to schools. Rawhide Youth Services offers equine assisted therapy. Buss said she believes spending some time with a horse can make a big difference.
“With the rhythms, watching them react to self and being able to process that can really start to shift some of these internal beliefs that people have about themselves and it can also be a space of creating the arena almost in a way of future dreams and things you want for yourself,” said Buss.
Rogers Behavioral Health in Oconomowoc, Wis., is another organization that offers therapy to youth. Jerry Halverson is the senior physician executive there.
He said there is still a stigma surrounding mental health, but it is important to continue to talk about these issues.
“One of the things that the governor really wants to focus on is not only raising awareness, but also making sure that kids — and everybody — have places that they can go to get treatment because we know the treatment works,” said Halverson.
Buss said she believes that when teens seek treatment for mental health issues, it can help them succeed later in life.
“It’s going to give the opportunity to the youth to become more successful because when you look at the studies that are out there, it’s not your university that you go to. It’s not the career path you choose. What makes a difference in success is the ability to be able to emotionally regulate and be in relationship with others,” Buss said.
That is why she said it was important for the governor to continue to highlight teen mental health in Wisconsin, and to continue to make it a priority in 2024.