Mental Awareness Programs for Young Women and Girls

Mentorship programs can include one-to-one mentoring, peer-support circles, leadership development groups, school-based mentoring, career exploration programs, and wellness-focused retreats. Effective programs pair participants with trained, caring adults or peers and set clear boundaries, goals, and referral procedures. The April T. Bocian Foundation supports mental wellness awareness and the EmpowHer Retreat; it does not represent its services as a formal one-to-one mentorship program.

The five C’s are commonly described in different ways, but a useful framework includes connection, communication, consistency, curiosity, and care. A healthy mentoring relationship creates trust, maintains reliable contact, listens without judgment, asks thoughtful questions, and keeps the participant’s well-being central. For youth mental health settings, mentors should also know their limits and connect someone to qualified help when safety concerns arise.

EmpowHer is a wellness and empowerment retreat program associated with and supported by the April T. Bocian Foundation. It is designed to support mental health and wellness for women through opportunities for connection, reflection, and empowerment. Program format, dates, participation requirements, and availability are managed through the EmpowHer Retreat program. Visitors can explore its dedicated website for current details.

A young person can start by speaking with a parent, guardian, school counselor, doctor, therapist, or another trusted adult. Support may include counseling, school-based services, peer programs with appropriate supervision, or community wellness initiatives. If someone is in immediate emotional distress, having suicidal thoughts, or worried about another person’s safety, call or text 988 in the United States for 24/7 crisis support.

Take the concern seriously, stay with the person if it is safe to do so, listen calmly, and ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide. Do not promise to keep it secret. In the United States, call or text 988 for immediate guidance from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is imminent danger, a plan, means, or an attempt in progress, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

The April T. Bocian Foundation raises awareness about mental health, depression, and suicide prevention while connecting community members to reliable resources. It prominently shares the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The foundation also builds engagement through events, volunteer opportunities, fundraising, and support for wellness initiatives that encourage open, compassionate conversations about seeking help.

Community members can support the foundation by volunteering, participating in fundraising events, sharing mental health awareness messages, registering a team for the annual Golf Outing, or exploring sponsorship opportunities. Businesses and individuals can contribute their time, skills, networks, and resources to help advance the mission. Contact the April T. Bocian Foundation to learn about current volunteer needs, event involvement, and ways to make an impact.

The foundation provides awareness, community connection, and links to trusted crisis and suicide-prevention resources; it should not be treated as a substitute for emergency care, licensed therapy, or crisis counseling. For immediate crisis help in the United States, call or text 988 any time. For an emergency or imminent risk of harm, call 911 or seek emergency medical care right away.