Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham (BGCHR), in partnership with James Madison University (JMU) Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the JMU Madison Center for Community Development, is expanding its Youth Wellness Initiative now to include on-site (in Club) counseling services for Club youth at any of its seven Clubs in the City and County.
As part of the initiative’s newest expansion, BGCHR is partnering with the JMU CAPS clinic to provide on-site individual counseling and referral support at no cost to Club youth. The partnership will reduce the primary barriers to mental health service: transportation, cost, and waitlists. The program speeds up access to care in the familiar Club setting with no need for a caregiver to leave work or worry about payment. Counseling will be provided by doctoral students under licensed supervision. This not only provides quick and consistent counseling for youth but also strengthens the behavioral health workforce through expanded training opportunities for future clinicians.
Boys & Girls Club’s announcement during May Mental Health Awareness emphasizes the importance of youth mental health. Youth mental health concerns continue to increase nationwide, particularly in rural areas where provider shortages, limited school-based staffing, stigma, and affordability restrict access to care. Within this context, BGCHR is well-positioned to help address gaps in school and community mental health services through prevention programming, trusted relationships, and accessible family support. The Youth Wellness Initiative emphasizes early intervention and prevention-focused support designed to promote youth well-being. The use of evidence-driven technology facilitates data collection at the clubs to support program improvements and evaluation of BGCHR initiatives.
BGCHR launched its Youth Wellness Initiative in 2024, with initial support from City of Harrisonburg ARPA Mental Health Funds and later joined by Sentara Cares, and Burke & Herbert Bank. BGCHR’s Youth Wellness Initiative specifically supports youth and families through social-emotional learning programming, staff training in trauma-informed and positive behavior practices. Families are connected to community-based resources and behavioral health supports as needed. The initiative also includes partnerships with Harrisonburg City Public Schools, James Madison University (JMU), JMU Madison Center for Community Development (MCCD), ARET Group LLC, and Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board (HRCSB) thus strengthening coordination across school, afterschool, home, and community.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County
BGCHR has served the community for over 30 years with a simple but vital purpose: provide a safe, supportive, and fun environment for youth ages 5 to 18, outside school hours. At our seven Clubs, young people are mentored by youth development professionals who nurture their sense of competence, belonging, and leadership. Serving over 600 young people annually, our seven Clubs are integral to the success of the youth we serve, their families, and our community. Clubs run programs before and after-school and during eight weeks of full-day summer camp. BGCHR staff build relationships with youth and provide experiences, programs, and opportunities for youth to develop personally, emotionally, and academically.
JMU Counseling and Psychological Services
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Clinic is part of the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services and the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University. CAPS is a teaching, service, and research clinic that is dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing by providing mental health services. CAPS offers affordable outpatient mental health services to our community while providing graduate students in psychology experience in counseling and psychological assessment. CAPS provides individual (child, adolescent, and adult), couple, and family counseling as well as psychological assessment, testing, and consultation.
Madison Center for Community Development
The Madison Center for Community Development (MCCD) is an applied research center housed within JMU’s Division of Research, Economic Development and Innovation. MCCD’s mission is to support the growth of strong, just, and healthy communities through action research and participatory program evaluation. MCCD partners with community stakeholders to build and sustain high impact and evidence-based programming and increase our collective capacity to address local needs and improve social problems.
ARET Group LLC
ARETGroup Technologies is a data systems and information management organization that helps community agencies collect, manage, and use data to improve programs and services, while using ethical data practices to protect the information of vulnerable populations. In partnership with BGCHR, ARETGroup supports the development of a research-ready data system used to track program activities, service use, and youth outcomes across BGCHR sites. The system helps partners better understand program impact and improve services for youth and families.
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