Maricopa teens and their families showed up for a mental health festival at Pacana Park on Saturday.

Express Fest saw a modest, yet lively crowd arrive for live music, raffles, food and a movie screening. Organizers from Safe House and Northern Lights Therapy said they wanted to provide mental health awareness and resources for teens and their families.

“I wanted to bring (Safe House) outside; I wanted to bring it out to the community,” said organizer Jelani Elliott. “This is my way of the letting the community know that we’re here for the kids, for the family.”

Brianna Reinhold of Northern Lights Therapy speaks with Council Member Henry Wade at Express Fest at Pacana Park on May 6, 2023. [Bryan Mordt]
Safe House, which has been hosting monthly teen-friendly events in Maricopa since October, aims to provide a safe space for teens to gain access to mental-health resources and engage in positive discussions. Topics include understanding how to navigate difficult situations and how to understand your emotions.

“You can be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that’s alright,” Elliott said. “It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to not have your life planned out.”

Tiffany Mensah, executive director of the DOVES Network and an Express Fest attendee, said addressing mental health in the teen years is important to prevent it from severely impacting them as adults.

“We’re here to show the community that we support these teens,” Mensah said. “When they’ve been exposed to the trauma, directly or indirectly … without healing, it continues into their adult lives.”

Studies have shown mental health for adolescents in the U.S. has decreased in recent years. A 2021 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 42% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless, an indicator of depression.

The same study showed 10% of teens had attempted suicide and 22% of teens seriously considered suicide.

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