CHIP in Action: Turning Partnership Into New Youth Mental Health Opportunities

For several years, Daniel Shine, Director of Friendships Unlimited, and Amanda Huber, a Health and Human Services Coordinator, who works closely with youth, have co-chaired the CHIP Mental Health Action Team, working together to identify gaps, elevate priorities, and advance strategies that support community well-being.

Through that collaboration, one theme continued to emerge: momentum around youth mental health was growing, and community programming needed to grow with it.

That partnership has since led to the development of a new referral process in collaboration with the Crisis Center and Youth Crisis Case Management. The effort focuses on identifying youth ages 12 to 22 who have had contact with crisis services and connecting them to Youth Night at Friendships Unlimited.

Youth Night is designed to reduce isolation, strengthen positive peer connections, and provide a supportive environment where young people can engage in meaningful ways. This new referral pathway expands access beyond previous programming, which was primarily focused on youth enrolled in CCS, and begins to open the door to a broader group of youth who may benefit from this type of connection.

At the same time, programming continues to evolve through innovative partnerships. One recent addition is Reptile Adventure Nights, developed in partnership with WPS Reptiles out of Kenosha. The program incorporates licensed therapists who use reptiles as a tool to help youth explore resilience, emotional regulation, and coping skills in a hands-on and engaging way.

An additional partnership between Friendships Unlimited - NAMI Southeast Wisconsin and Healing Harmonies is bringing music and art therapy opportunities to youth, further expanding the range of supportive, creative programming available.

Together, these efforts reflect how CHIP moves beyond planning and into action. By bringing partners together, fostering relationships, and creating space for shared priorities, CHIP helps turn ideas into real opportunities for connection, healing, and support, with impacts that will continue well beyond the current five-year CHIP cycle.