WOODSTOCK — The Ottauquechee Health Foundation has launched a new behavioral health and wellness initiative to address gaps in local youth mental health services.
The initiative, Bridges to Wellbeing, grew out of conversations among community members who saw a need for stronger connections and easier access to mental health services.
The foundation reviewed data from the Vermont Department of Health’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, an anonymous survey given to Vermont students every two years, which found that 1 in 3 Vermont high school students struggled with mental health in 2023.
The 2025 survey, released in August, found that 1 in 4 Vermont students are experiencing poor mental health.
“The goal in creating (Bridges to Wellbeing) is to first identify what some of the needs are related to youth mental health, and then to really work on connecting families with youth-serving organizations,” Lizzie Coelho, grants coordinator at the foundation, told the Valley News in a phone interview.
Through community events, education, partnerships and outreach, Bridges to Wellbeing brings together schools, families, youth-serving professionals, local organizations and community members.
The nonprofit provides grants and support for education, wellness initiatives and community partnerships. It serves the towns in the Mountain Views Supervisory Union — Woodstock, Barnard, Plymouth, Killington, Bridgewater, Pomfret and Reading — as well as Hartland and the village of Quechee.
As part of the initiative, the foundation is asking local parents, caregivers and youth-serving professionals to complete its youth mental health survey.
Feedback from the anonymous survey will help the foundation better understand the community’s strengths and needs and guide future events, resources and programs.
The foundation will host a screening of “Anxious Nation,” a documentary that explores anxiety in children and adolescents, at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Artistree Grange. A panel discussion will follow.
“It’s a judgment-free space where parents can come and discuss mental health, child development and family wellness,” Coelho said. “We’re hoping that these conversations will make parents feel less alone in some of their children’s needs.”
