Wendy Anderson, longtime child and family therapist with Jewish Family Services, has been chosen as the new coordinator for the YouBeYou program.
Anderson, a licensed clinical social worker, will direct the YouBeYou program that was started in 2017. YouBeYou gives students a platform to promote conversations about the importance of understanding and strengthening our mental health.
“I am very excited about coordinating YouBeYou,” Anderson said. “This will allow me to reach out to both school-based staff and children, as well as community members to provide much needed resources focusing on mental health and wellness to help identify and create strategies to respond to serious problems youth are facing daily.”
Anderson takes the YouBeYou position following Sondra Wallace, who now serves as JFS’ Director of Mental Health. Prior to Anderson’s promotion, she worked with children and families with an emphasis on family systems, cognitive-behavioral and play therapy approaches.
"I look forward to enhancing and expanding upon the already existing, evidence-based approaches supporting YouBeYou’s mission of bringing hope, help and strength to our school communities,” Anderson said.
YouBeYou provides intentional resources for students and schools that support mental health. YouBeYou uses Sources of Strength, a comprehensive wellness approach to coping with day-to-day stressors and prevention of suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse for youth and adults, doing so through the power of connection, hope, help and strength. Sources of Strength is designed to develop and promote eight distinct areas where support comes from and to help develop behaviors encouraging positive social interactions.
Currently, YouBeYou is in 15 area schools in Kansas and Missouri.
"I hope we will continue this trend and provide additional mental health awareness encouraging open communication and support in our community,” Anderson said.
For the past three years, Anderson has also been providing counseling for Jewish students through the University of Kansas Hillel in collaboration with JFS. The pilot program offers free counseling services to Jewish students at the University of Kansas. Students receive both in-person and virtual therapy focusing on areas such as anxiety, depression, family and peer relationships, gender identity and more.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to provide these counseling services with such an incredible population,” Anderson said. “It is one of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of my work at JFS.”
The collaboration with JFS and Hillel will continue with Anderson providing counseling services to students both in person and virtually.
Through her relationship with KU Hillel, Anderson traveled to Israel for the first time.
"Hillel Executive Director Suzy Sostrin extended my work to include supporting students during their annual Birthright trip to Israel," Anderson said. “I feel incredibly fortunate and forever grateful to have the opportunity to be present for students as they navigated their journey in Israel. Every visit and activity in Israel was educational, exciting and emotional.
“Having the opportunity to walk alongside the students and staff allowed us to strengthen our relationships in a way that will continue to be strong and valuable.”
Anderson is currently working on YouBeYou and preparing for the upcoming school year. More information about YouBeYou can be found at YouBeYou.us.
