for NPR: This Black church is facing the teen mental health crisis head on by José A. Alvarado Jr.

News

for NPR: This Black church is facing the teen mental health crisis head on

josé a. alvarado jr.

Apr 2, 2025

The staff at First Corinthian Baptist Church felt they had no choice but to tackle the issue of adolescent suicide risk in their congregation.

"Just the amount of phone calls we were getting," says Lena Green, who oversees mental wellness programs at the church in Harlem, New York. "I was probably getting almost 10 calls a week asking for services for teens."

She referred families to outside clinics and therapists, but they kept returning to her, unable to get the help and services they needed. More than one parent told her they were scared of going to sleep — fearful they would lose their child to suicide overnight.

"When we started getting calls about suicide attempts," says Green, "I was like, 'Oh, this is really bad.'"

Photographed for NPR, with words by Katia Riddle

This Black church is facing the teen mental health crisis head on
At First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, a therapist was fielding 10 calls a week from parents of teens who needed mental health help. Now the church is part of a national pilot intervention and study to address suicide risk among...
Npr.org

486

José A. Alvarado Jr.

Also by José A. Alvarado Jr. —

for The Minnesota Star Tribune: A Columbia professor’s warning for the University of Minnesota

for The New York Times: Columbia Concedes to Trump

for The New York Times: ICE Can’t Enter Rikers for Now, Judge Rules

for The New York Times: Outside Official Will Take Over Deadly Rikers Island Jail, Judge Orders

for The New York Times: Officer Pleads Guilty in Fatal Beating of Prisoner Seen on Camera

for Bloomberg: New York’s Selective Return to Office Is a Problem

for Bloomberg: Caribbean Worried About Impact of Fines on China-Made Vessels

for Bloomberg Law: Blue Owl’s Legal Chief Surges to Top-Paid Among Asset Managers

for Bloomberg: NYC Office Buildings See Resurgence as Investors Pile Into Bonds

for Bloomberg: KKR Veteran Joins Blue Owl to Lead Global Family Office Push

for Bloomberg: JPMorgan’s Former ‘Punch Card’ Building Unveils $10,000 Rentals

for NPR: This Harlem pastor fights mental health stigma — and shares his own struggles

for The New York Times: A Black Studies Curriculum Is (Defiantly) Rolling Out in New York City

for The New York Times: How a Plan for Reparations Became a Debt Trap for Marijuana Retailers

for STAT News: What happens when a rare disease drug seems to work, but the health care system doesn’t?

for El Nuevo Dia: Mujer del Año 2024

for NPR: Cancer interrupted their school lives, but also set them on a mission

for NPR: In New York, immigration weighed heavily and divisively among immigrants themselves

for The New York Times: He Was One of New York’s Busiest Shoplifters. His Mother Was a Cop.”, The New York Times

for The New York Times: Home Sales in Flood Zones Are Booming. Here’s Why Buyers Take the Risk.

for The Wall Street Journal: The King of Risky Hometown Bonds Is Back

for The Wall Street Journal: The Office Therapist Will See You Now

for DVEIGHT: A Conversation with Ray Turner

for The New York Times: The U.S. Open Is Busier Than Ever. Some Fans Are Not Happy About It.