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County proclaims Teen Mental Health Awareness Day as students urge policies on mental‑health days and supports
Summary
Allegheny County Council declared May 23, 2025, Teen Mental Health Awareness Day; students and youth advocates described needs for mental-health days, mentorship programs, safe spaces and curriculum support.
Allegheny County Council declared May 23, 2025, to be Teen Mental Health Awareness Day and heard testimony from student advocates who urged concrete actions including mental‑health days, mentorship programs and additional school and community resources.
Council member Bethany Hallam read the proclamation, which cited regional surveys and research indicating growing teen distress, disparities for students of color and LGBTQIA+ youth, and chronic absenteeism in local schools. Student speakers representing the PA Youth Advocacy Network and the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania described the lived effects and recommended specific local measures.
Layla King, a junior at Pittsburgh CAPA and a member of the PA Youth Advocacy Network, said the proclamation reflected lived realities for many youth: “This document reflects our reality,” she said, urging continued investment in services that help students stay connected.
Tayshaun Lyons, a sophomore at Shadyside Academy and member of the Boys and Girls Club Youth Advocacy Council, called the proclamation a “call to action” and said government recognition should be accompanied by investments that make help available to youth countywide.
Several students urged mental‑health days be made available and promoted mentorship and safe drop‑in spaces. Amir Turner, a McKeesport High School student, described balancing school, sports and work and said mental‑health days provide time to regroup: “Mental health days give us a chance to pause and take care of ourselves,” he said.
Onalina Makhosi, a 14‑year‑old member of the Boys and Girls Youth Advocacy Council, highlighted mentorship and safe community spaces, reporting internal surveys showing interest in such spaces at her school and calling for funding for accessible programs.
Council adopted the proclamation; student speakers encouraged the council and county agencies to follow the symbolic recognition with policy and funding steps that increase access to mental‑health services for teens. The proclamation text referenced the Pennsylvania Youth Survey 2023 and other research cited in the reading.
The council moved to other agenda items after the presentations; the proclamation was read and recognized on the record.
