Newton

Mental Health Services

The city of Newton is home to many support services for families seeking mental health resources. Select a topic below for resources and organizations relevant to the topic in the Newton area.

Youth Services

The city's schools, parks, and recreation department, and many nonprofit agencies work together to help families learn and grow. The spirit of Newton’s commitment to ensuring a healthy childhood for all youth is enriched by the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative, a federal grant aimed at reducing the risk factors that come between children of all ages and their ability to learn and stay safe and healthy. For more information see The Newton Partnership.

For a wide range of activities for children and teens, visit Newton Planning Out of School Time (POST), a comprehensive and user-friendly Web site funded by The Newton Partnership. Search for summer camps, before and after school programs, classes, school vacation programs and emergency back-up care.

These resources were drawn from the booklet Youth Services in Newton.

Teen Centers

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Westcoast Connection began with the goal of using exciting, memorable travel to enlighten and inspire teenagers and to enhance their understanding of themselves along the way. With a simple philosophy of "EACH & EVERY" we could never have guessed how many thousands of teens would come to share in our spirited and tightly knit groups where everybody is included in an enriching program.

The mission of Earthwatch is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education in order to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch offers a variety of family-together volunteer projects that make great hands-on learning experiences (includes several teen programs). Earthwatch's Teen Team Expeditions explore the world's most beautiful and endangered places. And these hands-on trips aren't only educational, but a way for teens to make a real difference and truly help the places they visit instead of just 'seeing' them as a passive bystander. The organization also offers all the tools, training, and experiences their volunteers need to make an impact.

A safe, adult-supervised, fun space for teenagers to spend time with other teens and supportive adults. Provides a variety of activities; open 4 evenings per week.

A program for teens, created by teens, is a student union for high school students and a place, "to connect students with friends". Student Central gives teens opportunities to get involved, become leaders, learn new skills, play, hang out and/or make a difference, through a variety of activities that run Monday through Friday, 5:00-10:00PM with select programs and classes on weekends.
Summer hours 5:00-9:30PM Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Newton Community Service Center's newest program for teens, created by teens, is Teen REACH, a student union for city high schoolers and a place "to connect students with friends and community, with learning and accomplishment, and with success and confidence in high school and beyond." Teen REACH gives teens opportunities to get involved, become leaders, learn new skills, play, hang out and/or make a difference, through a variety of activities that run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 at Tiger Spot in NNHS and Lion Spot at NSHS, and Monday through Friday 5:00-9:30 PM at the Teen Center in West Newton. Teen REACH also offers a one-to-one adult to student community-based mentoring program for area teens, known as the Mentor Connection.

Located at 1254 Chestnut Street in Upper Falls, the Chestnut Street Center is a brand new facility just opened in the fall of 2009. Established to serve NSHS students and other teens from the south side of Newton, this new Center in many ways replicates the very successful program at the Bibbo Youth Center. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 5-10:30 p.m. The Center is not open on Saturdays or holidays except for special events. The Chestnut Street Teen Center offers structured recreational programming such as basketball, youth outings, adventure trips, dance, music, cooking classes, self-defense classes, movie nights, barbecues, pool, ping-pong, and other forms of recreation. The Center is equipped with computers and has music production capabilities. Quiet areas are available for discussion groups, homework help, meetings, and tutoring.

Select a different Youth Services category below.

Community Websites

• City of Newton
• Newton Public Schools
• The Newton Partnership / TNP Newsletter
• The Newton Childcare Commission
• NPS Emergency Response & Crisis Management Program (ERCM)
• Newton Parent Advisory Council (PAC) on Special Education
• Newton Planning Out of School Time (POST)

Can't find what you need or need a referral to a mental health practitioner? Call 617-332-3666 x 411. For more information about the service and terms of confidentiality, please click here.