A key feature of Best Starts’ work is deep investment in promotion. While crisis response and intervention are essential in supporting community well-being, promotion creates long-term and sustainable positive impact. Mental health promotion often looks like helping babies, kids, and young people build strong family bonds, community connections, and learn healthy coping strategies early on.
Right now young people are facing high rates of depression and anxiety – an upward trend that began even before the pandemic, but was exacerbated during the periods of school closures, isolation and social upheaval. These impacts are even more striking among young people who are Black, Brown, Indigenous and people of color and/or who are LGBTQ+, who face additional barriers in accessing culturally appropriate supports. But, we have straightforward ways we can respond: by creating spaces and programs that foster community connection.
That’s why Best Starts invests in programs across King County to create intentional communities. These communities can inspire a sense of belonging, positive identity development, and create opportunities to build healthy relationships.
Semyon Kiyan, a young person who works with Best Starts community partner TransFamilies, describes how his personal experience in building relationships informs his work today in creating intentional communities for LGBTQ+ young people.
