The Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, in partnership with Birth to 22: United for Brighter Futures and the Becoming a Trauma Sensitive Community Action Team, celebrated the eighth annual “Get Your Green On" (GYGO) campaign and invited Palm Beach County to wear green on May 18. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring May 2023 Mental Health Awareness and Trauma Informed Care Month in Palm Beach County.

The GYGO campaign aims to raise awareness by creating visible support and fostering safe spaces to talk openly about mental health and trauma. Lauren Zuchman, Executive Director of BeWellPBC, and Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of NAMI Palm Beach County, chair the campaign.

This year the campaign committee, in collaboration with Deon C. Jefferson and Kenya Madison, hosted a countywide signature event on May 18 called the ‘Express Yourself Fashion Art Ball 2.0.’ The theme of the Art Ball was ‘Super Hero,’ where guests were encouraged to wear their favorite superhero costume or create a new mental health superhero. Attendees were entertained with special performances supporting mental health awareness from Palm Beach County talent. Special giveaways were awarded to the “Best Expressed” attendees; treats to eat and a live DJ for dancing were also provided. The event was free, open to the public, and held at the ARTS Warehouse in Delray Beach. Sponsors for the Fashion Art Ball were Palm Beach County Youth Services Department, BeWellPBC, NAMI of PBC, United Way of PBC, Healthier Delray Beach, Birth to 22, United Way of PBC, and Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County .

Youth Services Department's Public Relations Specialist, Tevin Ali, worked with the Palm Beach County ISS web services team to update the Get Your Green On website to feature 2023 mental health events hosted in Palm Beach County, mental health resources, and a newly recorded 2023 Channel 20 promo video for the County Connection Channel 20 show in support of Mental Health Awareness & Trauma-Informed Care.

The Youth Services Department's Education & Training Center held four Lunch & Learns to celebrate. These events offered presentations on topics related to mental health, such as “Child Abuse Awareness and Presentation," presented by Allie Picardi, M.S.; “Using Inclusive Language to Create Equitable Spaces," presented by Dr. Danniella Jones, Psy.D.; “Take Control of Your Coping: Steps for Coping with Anxiety & Depression" presented by Emily Deming, Ph.D.; and “Body Esteem: Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem," presented by Megan O’Connor Szuma, M.S.

Among those that got their green on were Palm Beach County Commissioners and many County Departments, BeWellPBC, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Faulk Center for Counseling, The School District of Palm Beach County, Healthier Delray Beach, United Way of Palm Beach County, NAMI Palm Beach County, Alpert Jewish Family and Children's Service, Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, Community Partners of South Florida, Center for Child Counseling Palm Beach County, City of Greenacres, Healthier Boynton Beach, Palm Health Foundation, 211 Helpline Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, The Lord’s Place, Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, Neuro Behavioral Hospitals, Health Care District of Palm Beach County, Families First of PBC, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies PBC, HCA Florida JFK Hospital, West Palm Beach Center for Arts & Technology, Genesis Community Health, Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Coalition, Unity3 Palm Beach, Florida Department of Children & Families, Miss Palm Beach County 2023, American Association of Care Giving Youth, West Palm Beach Mental Health Coalition, Pathways to Prosperity, Love Hope and Healing, and many others.

To view all of the "Get Your Green On" photos shared in May, visit the Get Your Green On campaign's social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.