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

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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

José A. Alvarado Jr.

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