Raising a mentally healthy child is a communal effort involving many people and groups — parents,
teachers, school counselors, grandparents, neighbors, and sometimes dogs.

I have been a youth mental health advocate for the past 16 years. My son, Kenny, who struggled
with significant mental health issues, was my teacher. His diagnosis came as a complete shock.
I was uneducated and not prepared for what was to come. We immediately went into high reactive
mode to find the help he deserved. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, and we lost Kenny to his
biological brain illness.

Since Kenny’s passing, we have developed age-appropriate mental wellness programs, based in research,
from kindergarten through college. We have educated over 250,000 students and have helped save
thousands of young lives.

Suicide used to be the third leading cause of death of New Jersey’s youth. As per the 2024 Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the State of New Jersey Department of Education, suicide is
now the second leading cause of death of our young people in New Jersey. It is getting worse.

At the same time, government budget cuts in many school districts mean that just when our children
need support the most, that support is being pulled away. Mental wellness programs are being canceled.

At AIR (Attitudes in Reverse), our hope is to continue to educate youth so they know they
can always ask for the support they deserve. We hope to educate parents so they may recognize the
signs and symptoms of a mental health issue and not pass it off as a sign of puberty. We include
the partnership with certified therapy dogs in every one of AIR’s mental health educational programs.

As a nonprofit that receives no federal or state grant funding, we are grateful for the sponsors,
families, and donors who understand the importance of these conversations and share funding directly
with AIR so we can talk to students where they are.

In our hearts, we want to continue helping educate children and providing certified therapy dogs.
We want to help save young lives. It takes a village—both human and canine. Our hope is for people
to recognize the crisis our children are facing and want to be part of the solution—be a part of
AIR’s Mental Wellness Village.