Gabriel Dorvil, 14, has struggled mightily with his mental health. He is already 6’4″ tall and often mistaken for an adult. A curriculum at church has helped him accept himself and deal with how people sometimes react to him. José A. Alvarado Jr. for NPR
March 10, 20255:00 AM ET By Katia Riddle
If you or someone you love is experiencing a crisis, call or text 9-8-8 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The staff at First Corinthian Baptist Church felt they had no choice but to tackle the issue of adolescent suicide risk in their congregation.
“Just the amount of phone calls we were getting,” says Lena Green, who oversees mental wellness programs at the church in Harlem, New York. “I was probably getting almost 10 calls a week asking for services for teens.”
She referred families to outside clinics and therapists, but they kept returning to her, unable to get the help and services they needed. More than one parent told her they were scared of going to sleep — fearful they would lose their child to suicide overnight
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