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The Coalition to Empower our Future (CEF) recently convened a national roundtable in Miami focused on addressing the complex and urgent challenges surrounding youth mental health and wellbeing.
The event brought together national and regional leaders, including policymakers, clinicians, educators and nonprofit executives, for an in-depth discussion on collaborative strategies to support young people across the country.
Moderated by Carlos Curbelo, former U.S. Representative and CEF Board member, alongside CEF executive director Glen Weiner, the forum emphasized that reversing the youth mental health crisis requires a unified, multi-sector response that reaches beyond surface-level fixes.
Recent findings highlight the scope of the challenge. Research from the Coalition to Empower our Future indicates that 80 percent of Florida voters and parents believe addressing youth mental health requires a comprehensive approach rather than one-size-fits-all measures such as limiting screen time.
Nearly seven in 10 respondents said it remains difficult for young people to access the mental health support they need. Nationally, one in five teens show signs of anxiety, almost 20 percent report depressive symptoms, and 35 percent say loneliness disrupts their daily lives — underscoring the timeliness of the Miami roundtable.
Building on this data, the discussion explored how leaders, practitioners and communities can align efforts to better serve young people’s emotional and psychological needs. Topics ranged from destigmatizing mental health and raising awareness to identifying practical, evidence-based solutions. The conversation also delved into the impact of technology and social media — including the growing presence of artificial intelligence — on the wellbeing of children and teens.
“We know coming from a place of fear is not motivating to youth or to families. So, really thinking about this in a way that’s solutions-focused, that’s evidence-based and that meets families where they are,” said Nicole Owings-Fonner, director of the American Academy of Pediatrics National Center on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.”
Panelists represented organizations from across Florida and the nation, including the American Academy of Pediatrics’ National Center on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, the Children’s Bereavement Center, the Mental Health Association of Central Florida, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Office of Mental Health Services. Together, they explored policy and programmatic solutions to strengthen youth resilience and expand access to critical mental health services.
“I hope kids don’t ever need to walk into my office; that’s the best thing,” said Dr. Howard Pratt, Community Health of South Florida Behavioral Health medical director and child and adolescent psychiatrist. “Kids are doing their best when everyone’s on the same page.
Where the child is looking for treatment, the family is accepting and supportive and that there’s our side where it’s the support. For child psychiatrists, we’re getting harder and harder to find.”
Panelists also referenced recent studies to assess how Florida and the nation are responding to youth mental health challenges. The roundtable marked an important step in CEF’s mission to unite diverse voices and perspectives behind evidence-based, compassionate solutions that empower youth and families nationwide.
“For my hometown of Miami to have been able to host this wonderful gathering and my home state of Florida where there is so much need to bring together these professionals, these leaders in their communities; what a great privilege,” Curbelo said. “We have covered so much; we have so much more to cover, and so much more room to grow and deliver for our young people who desperately need some guidance, but this has been very special.”
This event is the first in a series of regional roundtable discussions where CEF will go into communities across the country. The goal is to engage and listen to a range of voices and perspectives to better understand the many dimensions of the youth mental health challenge and to identify tools and resources parents need to support their children.
To learn more, visit empowerourfuturecoalition.com.
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