Youth Connect: YouthConnect becomes independent mental health nonprofit
For the last 30 years, YouthConnect operated inside Boston Police Department stations as a program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, quietly building one of the city’s most unusual partnerships between law enforcement and mental health care. On July 1, that program became an independent nonprofit — a shift its leaders say will deepen, not disrupt, the work.
“Becoming an independent organization [and] nonprofit actually allows us to expand our specialized mission,” said Kevan Barton, executive director of YouthConnect.
The organization’s work is built around a simple but rare model: licensed clinical social workers embedded in Boston police district stations, working alongside officers to reach young people and families at some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
What started with a single social worker in one station has grown to a presence across 10 district stations and citywide units, with a network of more than 275 community partners. The organization serves youth between ages 10 and 24 whom officers flag as needing support — not after a crisis has passed, but often in its immediate aftermath.
Read the full story via The Bay State Banner >>> https://baystatebanner.com/2026/07/30/youthconnect-becomes-independent-mental-health-nonprofit-same-model-with-a-broader-impact/