Good mental health is as fundamental as good physical health in helping children succeed and reach their full potential.

Unmet mental health needs can impact the long-term economic mobility and quality of life of children and families. This can often result in dependency, costly institutionalization or recurrent involvement in the criminal justice system.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly correlated to a wide range of mental problems in children.....

.....According to Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice, 32.9 percent of all youth in custody have a history of mental health problems. For girls, these numbers are disproportionately higher with 48.8 percent of girls in custody having a history of mental health issues.....

.....At Pace Center for Girls, we create safe and gender-responsive environments while providing extensive counseling and trauma-informed services to girls and young women. By doing this, we harness the unique potential of each girl with a focus on their future.....

.....A recent study by MDRC, a nonpartisan education and social policy research organization, found that Pace reaches girls facing enormous challenges and nearly doubles their likelihood of being on track to graduate from high school.....

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