IEHP Promotes Balance with Youth Activities

To help balance the social and academic stressors youth and young adults face while navigating school, family and friends, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) offers a regular schedule of fun – and free – classes at its community resource centers. 

“Extracurricular activities decrease the potential for risky behaviors in children and young adults and provide an increased sense of connectedness and belonging,” said IEHP Community Behavioral Health Clinical Director Amrita Rai. “Any kind of opportunity to engage in activities supporting healthy emotional development can increase self-esteem and the ability to interact with peers, which offers benefits well into adulthood.”

IEHP’s community resource centers can help nurture and improve mental health for young Inland Empire residents. The centers offer classes and activities including Zumba, creative arts, cooking and gardening across its three locations in Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville. Sessions are held Monday through Saturday and can be found on iehp.org.

The U.S Surgeon General’s 2021 Advisory  further highlights COVID-19’s impact to the ongoing youth mental health crisis, citing the urgent need to address these challenges head-on through coordinated action by community and federal organizations and by recognizing mental health as an essential part of overall health.

This concept is not new to IEHP, which is currently partnering with several community organizations and Local Education Agencies to expand behavioral health services in and near schools (Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program). 

The health plan is also exploring opportunities to add even more free classes and activities for teens and young adults to their centers through a partnership with Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy.  

“We’re looking forward to adding more fun to our center schedules in the weeks and months to come,” said IEHP Victorville Community Resource Center Manager Delia Orosco. “Our centers serve as a safe space for all who enter, regardless of age, to truly express themselves and we take that very seriously.”

To learn more about IEHP Community Resource Centers and class schedules, visit iehp.org.