What Do Young People Wish Their Parents Knew?
Sometimes the most important conversations between young people and the adults who care about them are also the hardest conversations to start.
A young person may go to school, spend time with friends, participate in activities, laugh with family, and tell everyone they're “fine.” From the outside, everything may appear normal.
Inside, they may be struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, pressure, grief, fear, or feelings they don't know how to explain.
For parents and caregivers, that can leave an important question:
How can we better understand what young people are experiencing — especially when they aren't sure how to tell us?
On October 28, 2026, StrongSteps Behavioral Health Foundation is bringing families, professionals, community organizations, and other caring adults together in Syracuse for a special community screening of What I Wish My Parents Knew, followed by a guided mental health discussion and community resource fair.
This community education event is made possible with grant support from the Central New York Community Foundation and is sponsored by Helio Health.
View the event on Facebook
Sometimes “I'm Fine” Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Young people don't always tell adults when they're struggling.
They may worry about disappointing their parents. They may be afraid they'll be judged, treated differently, or misunderstood. They may wonder whether what they're experiencing is serious enough to talk about.
Sometimes they simply don't know how to put what they're feeling into words.
That's why conversations about mental health shouldn't begin only after someone reaches a crisis.
Parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, counselors, and other trusted adults can create opportunities for young people to talk before reaching that point.
Instead of stopping at:
“Are you okay?”
We can try questions that create room for a real conversation:
“What's been the hardest part of your week?”
“What has been on your mind lately?”
“When you're having a difficult day, what helps?”
“Is there anything you wish I understood better?”
And after asking, one of the most important things we can do is listen.
Hearing Directly From Young People
What I Wish My Parents Knew is a 45-minute documentary featuring ten young people sharing their experiences with depression and anxiety and what they wish their families had understood while they were struggling.
The documentary is part of the work of Tell My Story, which uses storytelling, documentary screenings, and guided discussions to encourage conversations about youth mental health.
The film isn't about blaming parents or suggesting that families should have every answer.
It's about listening to young people's experiences and thinking differently about how adults recognize and respond when someone may be struggling.
A parent might recognize something they've noticed in their own child.
An educator may reconsider how they approach a student who has suddenly become withdrawn.
A coach or trusted adult may discover a better way to start a difficult conversation.
Sometimes understanding begins when we stop trying to immediately solve a problem and give someone room to tell us what they're experiencing.
The Conversation Continues After the Film
The evening won't end when the credits roll.
Following the documentary, attendees will participate in a guided mental health discussion.
Tell My Story's screening model pairs the film with a facilitated discussion led by a mental health professional, giving attendees an opportunity to ask questions and explore practical ways to support youth mental well-being.
Together, we'll have an opportunity to consider questions such as:
What makes it difficult for young people to ask for help?
How should we respond when a young person tells us they're struggling?
How can adults create environments where talking about mental health feels safer?
What signs should families pay attention to?
When might additional professional support be appropriate?
You don't need to be a mental health professional to be part of this conversation.
Sometimes being a trusted adult starts with being willing to listen.
Connecting the Conversation With Real Community Resources
Education is important.
But families also need to know where to turn next.
That's why StrongSteps is incorporating a community resource fair into the event.
Attendees will have an opportunity to connect with participating community organizations, learn about available programs and services, ask questions, and discover resources that may be helpful for themselves or someone they care about.
Someone may arrive wanting to better understand their teenager.
Someone else may be supporting a friend, student, or family member.
Another person may simply want to learn more about youth mental health.
Whatever brings someone through the door, we want people to leave with more than information.
We want them to leave knowing that support exists and there are places to start.
Community Partnership Makes This Possible
Bringing behavioral health education and resources directly into communities requires collaboration.
StrongSteps Behavioral Health Foundation is grateful to the Central New York Community Foundation for providing grant support for this community outreach initiative.
We are also grateful to Helio Health for sponsoring the event.
Helio Health provides mental health, substance-use, crisis, peer, family, and other behavioral health services in Syracuse and throughout Central New York. Its Syracuse services include outpatient mental health care and a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, among other programs. Helio Health
Partnerships like these help bring together nonprofit organizations, behavioral health providers, families, and community members around a shared goal:
Making it easier for people to understand mental health and connect with support.
Who Should Attend?
This event isn't only for families currently experiencing a mental health crisis.
We welcome parents and caregivers, educators and school personnel, behavioral health and human-service professionals, youth-serving organizations, community partners, and other adults who want to better understand and support young people.
You don't need to wait until a young person is struggling to learn how to have these conversations.
Building trust before something goes wrong can make it easier for a young person to speak up when they eventually need help.
Listening Can Be a Form of Support
When someone we love tells us they're hurting, our instinct is often to fix the problem.
Sometimes solutions are necessary.
But sometimes the first thing a young person needs is much simpler:
“I'm glad you told me.”
“I'm listening.”
“That sounds really difficult.”
“You don't have to figure this out alone.”
Adults don't need perfect words or all the answers.
Being present, taking someone's feelings seriously, and helping them connect with appropriate support can be an important first step.
One Conversation Can Open a Door
At StrongSteps Behavioral Health Foundation, we believe healthier communities are built when conversations about mental health become easier — not only during emergencies, but around dinner tables, in schools, in community organizations, and everywhere young people interact with trusted adults.
One film won't answer every question.
One event won't solve every challenge facing youth mental health.
But one evening can start conversations that continue long after everyone goes home.
A parent might ask a different question.
A teacher might notice something they hadn't noticed before.
A community organization might make a new connection.
A family might discover a resource they didn't know existed.
And a young person might realize that there are adults willing to listen.
Sometimes a conversation is the first Strong Step forward.
Join Us in Syracuse
What I Wish My Parents Knew
Community Film Screening & Resource Night
October 28, 2026
4:00–7:00 PM
Syracuse, New York
45-Minute Film Screening
• Guided Mental Health Discussion • Community Resource Fair
Made possible with grant support from:
Central New York Community Foundation
Event Sponsor:
Helio Health
View the event and updates on Facebook
We invite you to join us for an evening centered on something simple but incredibly important:
Listening to what young people have to say.
