Over the years, I’ve developed dozens of ways to describe what Bainbridge Youth Services is and does.

There’s the prepackaged elevator pitch — “promoting youth mental health by providing resources, education and support” — that, while accurate, doesn’t quite answer the question of what exactly BYS does.

There’s the route of just listing our programs which, when laid out on paper all sound great, but neglects to fully convey how all the pieces fit together and why they fit that way.

The best way to truly understand what BYS does is by understanding who is walking through our door and what they are carrying with them:

A Bainbridge High School junior who is working through the emotions surrounding his parents’ divorce. He’s never been to therapy before but a friend who is a tutor at BYS suggested he give it a try.

A recent graduate who is trying to decide what her next step in life is. She has seen her BYS therapist regularly since 8th grade. The long-term trust they have built has proved crucial in allowing her the confidence to navigate her next steps into adulthood.

A Kingston High School youth who is transitioning and looking to be seen and heard for their true, authentic self. On days they are unable to make the drive to BYS, they are still able to access their therapy sessions online via telehealth.

A Woodward Middle School student who is struggling with the newest pre-algebra unit. She meets with a BYS tutor who is a sophomore in high school and “speaks her language.” Over time, the questions shift slightly from being solely about math to inquiries into what the high school experience is like.

A 16-year-old who is new to the community and looking to form connections. They join Service Club and, a couple weeks later, decide to schedule a therapy appointment for support with their transition to North Kitsap High School.

An Eagle Harbor High School youth seeking a safe space to decompress after an unexpected panic attack disrupted the middle of her school day. An academic counselor walks her over and we give her a quiet space to breathe with a cup of tea. She schedules a therapy appointment for after school that day.

A pack of teenage boys walking down from BHS during lunch for a piece of candy and a snack. We chat about last weekend’s Seahawks game and they always make sure to say ‘thank you’ upon leaving. Most won’t come to BYS for any other reason during their time in high school; one will experience a hardship down the road and will know exactly where to go for support.

So, what exactly is BYS? We are the youth who walk through our doors. Their needs guide our structure as an organization and we meet them wherever they may be, ready to hold space for whatever weight they may be carrying.

Lately, that weight has primarily been anxiety. In the third quarter of 2024, 43% of BYS therapy clients reported anxiety as their primary concern and reason for seeking out services, according to data compiled by our therapists. This has consistently been our clients’ primary concern since we first began tracking this data in January 2023.

Behind therapy doors our licensed mental health professionals work with clients to help them develop coping skills and identify anxiety triggers; not everyone is ready for or interested in therapy. BYS tries to meet those youth where they are at, too, creating programs in response to direct requests from the youth and trends our therapists may be seeing.

Service Club was an outcome of the pandemic when youth were feeling isolated and actively searching for ways to connect with their community. Our GEDI support group was created when our therapists heard feedback that there was not enough local support for LGBTQIA+ young people. Our Peer Tutoring program connects around 35 groups of students a week, addressing a contributor to anxiety in teens: academic stress.

Wherever the youth may be, they can be sure BYS will be right here alongside them, ready to help them carry whatever they are holding. Our identity will fluctuate as their needs do. What we are today is different from what we were five years ago, and will be different from what we are five years from now.

In the end, we are what the youth say we are.

Brittany Wisner is clinic manager for BYS, which has a monthly column in this newspaper.