BeWellPBC brings together residents and system leaders to create a unified vision for building a culture of health and wellness and to co-design solutions grounded in equity, access, community healing, and behavioral health awareness.
In the summer of 2023, BeWellPBC hosted the inaugural RALLY – Rapid Action Learning Leaders for Youth to address the growing youth mental health crisis in Palm Beach County. The event convened over 95 participants, including youth, community leaders, grassroots initiatives, behavioral health providers, funders, and system leads. Together, they worked collaboratively to develop actionable solutions to improve youth mental health, emphasizing collective action, continuous learning, and adaptive strategies.
The gathering led to the creation of the 7 Strategies for Youth Mental Health: Mental Health Awareness, Youth Wellness and Prevention, Non-Traditional Supports, Meaningful Connections for Youth, Behavioral Health Support in Existing Community Spaces, Support for Families Through Provider Policy Change, Youth Leadership and Support.
One year later, in the summer of 2024, 116 participants—including youth, caregivers, grassroots champions, community leaders, funders, system partners, and providers—reunited to share progress and continue driving change. Led by BeWellPBC and Future Leaders United for Change, the second RALLY emphasized expanding the successful initiatives and strategies developed in 2023.
Since its launch, RALLY has inspired significant investment, with funders dedicating over $600,000 to support youth mental health strategies. Discussions at the 2024 RALLY focused on seven priority areas: Meaningful Connections for Youth, Behavioral Health Support in Existing Community Spaces, Support for Families Through Provider Policy Change, Youth Wellness and Prevention, Youth Leadership and Support, Life Skills, and Mental Health Awareness.
Together, RALLY participants continue to lead the charge in creating a brighter future for Palm Beach County youth.
Through our Systems Leaders Table, BeWellPBC is fostering interdependence by helping system leaders see themselves as stewards of shared community resources rather than siloed investments each organization makes on its own. System leaders are becoming stewards of change with a shared vision for addressing equity, health disparities and wellness, and joining with the community to co-create solutions. This shared vision has become our platform for building greater interdependence across the county’s behavioral health landscape.
BeWellPBC is taking action per recommendations from the exploratory Palm Beach County study Achieving Greater Impact From the System of Care: Opportunities and Challenges by Dr. David Shern and Dr. Mary Armstrong. Released in January 2021, this report focuses on the children’s system of care with a population health and equity approach. Working with community and system leaders, we are focused on reducing health inequities, developing a governance model premised on shared stewardship and a population health approach, expanding investment in impactful initiatives, determining strategies for greater data system integration, and supporting growth of pediatric integrated care.
BeWellPBC and Mental Health America are partnering with local pediatricians and providers to integrate behavioral health into pediatric care in Palm Beach County and contribute to Florida-wide efforts.Through the Pediatric Integrated Care Community of Practice Project, a muti-agency workgroup led by 2 physicians is identifying opportunities and challenges for pediatric practices, addressing specific systemic barriers to integrated care, and documenting a standard for care that is scalable for other practices to follow.
BeWellPBC is a partner in the county’s “Get Your Green On” mental health awareness campaign honoring behavioral health education and trauma-informed care each May. The campaign is a subcommittee of Birth to 22’s Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Community Action Team with over 100 organizations and 2,500 individuals participating in the 2020 campaign.
