Student mental health needs have reached crisis levels — and traditional support systems aren't enough. In this episode, we explore how one Chicago community used community organizing to build a new System of Care that connects schools, families, and mental health services in powerful new ways.

Jessica Biggs, educator, organizer, and newly elected member of the Chicago Board of Education, shares how her team leveraged community navigators, trust-building, and collaborative leadership to transform access to mental health supports for students and families.

We talk about what makes systems sustainable, why relationships are more powerful than referrals, and what schools and communities everywhere can learn from this innovative model.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• How schools can address the student mental health crisis

• Why community navigators became the bridge between families and services

• Building trust between schools, community organizations, and families

• Lessons in organizing collective leadership across a city

🔗 Read the full study: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessica-biggs-6b06b413_using-community-organizing-to-build-a-system-activity-7287496086104023041-w7Pp?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAALOY90BPIcHH3u3HTwkCRcEerZIOV4fcI4
🔗 Connect with Jessica Biggs: linkedin.com/in/jessica-biggs-6b06b413