Sometimes the hardest part isn’t noticing that a young person is struggling. It’s knowing what to say next.
You don’t need the perfect words. You need honest ones. Ask directly: “I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed like yourself. Do you want to talk about it?” Then listen more than you speak. Resist the urge to fix, minimize, or fill the silence. A young person who feels heard is far more likely to reach out again the next time things get hard.
And sometimes, the most caring thing you can say is, “This is bigger than the two of us. Let’s find you some support.”
That’s a message Wellroot is working to make easier to deliver, and easier to follow through on.
Georgia has long ranked near the bottom nationally in access to mental health care. Families searching for a trauma-informed therapist have waited months, sometimes nearly a year, while a child’s crisis deepens in the meantime. Wellroot has spent recent years closing that gap, growing from Functional Family Therapy into a full continuum of behavioral health care delivered through our Tucker and Gainesville Behavioral Health Centers and telehealth. This year, by becoming a Core 2 Medicaid provider and launching a new referral portal, we made it simpler than ever for a family to connect to care, without financial barriers standing in the way.
Bringing Hope Closer to Home and Expanding Behavioral Health Services – Read Full Story»
One mother knows what the old wait could cost. After her daughter, on the autism spectrum, began struggling with bullying and isolation, it took nearly a year to find a therapist trained in both autism and trauma. “It was extremely difficult to get her help,” she said. Today, with consistent care in place, her daughter is stable and communication at home has improved. “I want my daughter to have the full life she deserves,” her mother shared, a prayer Wellroot hears echoed by families across Georgia. If you know a family searching for that kind of help, our referral portal is the fastest way to connect them.
Care after a crisis matters. So does preparing the adults who might catch it first, which is the whole idea behind Reaching Teens.
Built on the research of pediatrician Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, this training series helps the adults already in a teen’s life, from classroom to courtroom to church pew, trade “What’s wrong with you?” for “What happened to you?” and “What’s strong within you?” Participants leave with practical tools, steadier instincts in hard conversations, and stronger relationships with the teens they serve. Sessions run from a single 90-minute training to the full Foundational Series, offered in person or virtually. To bring a training to your team, reach out at resilientnga@wellroot.org.
For those ready to go deeper, the Reaching Teens Summit returns February 25–26, a two-day gathering of professionals and caregivers built entirely around this same conviction: that a trusted adult, equipped with the right knowledge, can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about supporting young people, sign up now for early bird registration, and we’ll email you the moment it opens.
None of this work is new to Wellroot. For 155 years, we have believed that hope takes root when someone shows up, stays present, and refuses to let a young person carry hard things alone. Noticing when a young person is struggling is an act of love.
This September, as we mark Suicide Prevention Month, we’re reminded that connection saves lives. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
