THE NEW YORK AND PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL

Launched in 2001 in response to the high rates of referrals from a local elementary school to NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital’s pediatric psychiatric emergency room, the Turn 2 Us program (T2U) was created in partnership with elementary schools to offer multi-dimensional, holistic mental health promotion and prevention services to students with diverse needs. Developed and supported through the generosity of Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, T2U is structured on evidence-based models and addresses the chronic and cumulative demographic stressors within inner city communities that have been shown to increase at-risk behaviors and mental health disorders. T2U is implemented in local schools by principals, teachers, school staff, and parents/caregivers in partnership with NYP T2U program staff, or by school staff who have participated in train-the-trainer modules run by T2U. With two broad, interconnected issues at the center of its mission for several years, T2U was and is ready to address mental health risk factors already present in low-income communities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those issues are: -The effect on children of multiple stressors that are linked to an array of social/emotional/ behavioral symptoms, which ultimately stagnate social and academic progress; and -Limited dissemination of mental health literacy and training for school staff/caregivers. The guiding mission of the program is to address these issues by: -Promoting mental health and academic success in children who are identified as being at-risk for mental health challenges; -Empowering the entire school community to engage in healthy lifestyle practices that promote well-being; and -Enhancing the mental health literacy of school personnel and parents/caregivers so they are better equipped to ensure youth can progress emotionally, socially, and academically.