Last week I had the opportunity to learn Mental Health First Aid from North Country Community Mental Health. Mental Health First Aid is help for a person experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid aims to: Preserve life when a person may be in danger to self or others Prevent the problem from becomingContinue reading “Hope + Mental Health First Aid”
Author Archives: Ty Schmidt
Seeking and celebrating joy
We Fight Youth Team leader Will Unger, Gwen Urbain, and Alex Schwartz at the May 2, 2022 City Commission meeting, with TC Human Rights Commission member Jessica Forster, for the proclamation of Youth Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month began yesterday. A critical moment for northern Michigan. The pandemic has contributed to theContinue reading “Seeking and celebrating joy”
What if we listened to our kids more?
I recently had the opportunity to listen to several youth leaders from Charlevoix, Antrim and Manistee counties. They presented their fantastic project “Through Our Eyes: A Photovoice Project on the Stigma Around Youth Mental Health & Wellness” at the Behavioral Health Initiative Summit. My favorite is the photo above by Elke, who captioned it: “We areContinue reading “What if we listened to our kids more?”
Meet the Good Works Lab Team: Youth Engagement, Will Unger
Will is an up-and-coming youth leader in Traverse City. He is determined to help all young people thrive by helping to elevate their voice in matters that affect their lives. Will is a senior at Central High School and has lived in Traverse City for all of his life. He has a deep connection withContinue reading “Meet the Good Works Lab Team: Youth Engagement, Will Unger”
Join me for this youth mental health conversation?
Bringing Jeff Olson to Traverse City was everGROWTH Consulting owner/We Fight member Kathy Grinsteiner’s idea. She grew up in the UP and knew the story of Daniel Olson, an all-state quarterback from Ishpeming, well. With the help of Brenda McLellan from Traverse Connect, Kathy pitched Do It For Daniel to TCAPS leadership. They immediately said yes, and this Thursday at 5:30Continue reading “Join me for this youth mental health conversation?”
Traverse City’s #1 Priority?
On Monday, April 18th, our City Commissioners will be discussing and hopefully approving, their 2022 goals. At the top of this list is housing. Housing as our #1 priority needs to be celebrated. And then we need to get to work to deliver. I love these four points under “Resources Required” listed on the plan: • Removing barriersContinue reading “Traverse City’s #1 Priority?”
Meet the Good Works Lab Team: Green Infrastructure Policy, Nathan Griswold
Nathan has worked at the forefront of the green infrastructure industry for 19 years. He has played critical roles in the design, development, sale, construction, and successful establishment of nearly 1000 green roofs across North America. He launched Inhabitect, LLC to serve as an independent and all-inclusive resource for designing, building, and growing living architecture,Continue reading “Meet the Good Works Lab Team: Green Infrastructure Policy, Nathan Griswold”
A Better Traverse City Parkway: An Opportunity
This is the fourth story of the “Better Traverse City Parkway” series. Read #1 (Imagination, Attention and Action Required), #2 (What Now?), and #3 (What’s Important to You?). Last week, the Traverse City City Commission shared that the 1947 agreement between Traverse City and the Michigan Department of Transportation is still legal. Traverse City now has an equal seat atContinue reading “A Better Traverse City Parkway: An Opportunity”
On youth mental health and school connectedness
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released findings that the mental well-being of high schoolers—already in decline over the past decade—may be further “eroding” since the onset of the pandemic. According to the CDC, “more than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic,Continue reading “On youth mental health and school connectedness”
Should We Build Housing Here, Traverse City?
After watching the recent City Commission meeting on City-owned land and housing, we went to check out this piece of property across from the library that was discussed. It’s south of the tracks and north of the Department of Public Services on Woodmere. The City currently stores snow on it. But what if we built housing on it for people instead? It’sContinue reading “Should We Build Housing Here, Traverse City?”
Good Works Lab 