We like to periodically ask our JF&CS staff a simple but profound question: What’s Your Why? This month, we’re talking to Jessica Sacks, for whom the BeWellATL initiative is impactful both personally and professionally.

Meet Jessica Sacks

Jessica — BeWellATL champion, Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center Community Outreach Coordinator, and Sandy Springs native — has deep roots in Atlanta’s Jewish community. She and her husband have been best friends since age 14, live just a few miles from their parents and siblings, and are raising their three children surrounded by cousins, family gatherings, and shared meals.

As a former elementary school teacher, Jessica began her career in Fulton County public schools before earning her master’s degree in elementary education. When her oldest son was born, she was drawn back to her Jewish day school roots, teaching enrichment and later transitioning into school admissions. “I found great fulfillment in helping families discover what made our school community so special,” she recalls.

After many rewarding years in education, Jessica felt ready for a new chapter: one that would keep her connected to the Jewish community while allowing her to make a broader impact. That opportunity came when she joined JF&CS as Community Outreach Coordinator for the Horwitz Zusman Child and Family Center.

The Birth of BeWellATL

A few months into her new role, Jessica was invited to focus on an emerging initiative: BeWellATL, the Atlanta hub of the national BeWell program through the Jewish Federations of North America and the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies. The program’s mission is powerful: to reduce stigma and raise awareness around youth and young adult mental health.

“I had recently heard Sara Allen, who leads BeWell National, speak at a conference,” Jessica recalls. “Her vision for empowering communities to talk openly about mental health really inspired me.”

BeWellATL launched at a critical time. The lingering effects of COVID-19 had intensified already concerning trends in teen mental health. “The data showed that these challenges existed long before the pandemic,” Jessica explains. “Our goal was to address them with compassion, awareness, and education.”

Supporting Young People and the Adults Who Love Them

Thanks to the generosity of The Zalik Foundation, BeWellATL has trained hundreds of teens through Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)—a program that teaches young people how to recognize when a friend might be struggling and connects them with help.

“Much like a lifeguard keeps someone safe until professional help arrives, these teens learn how to support their peers until an adult or professional can step in,” says Jessica. Returning to her teaching roots, she became a certified tMHFA instructor, working directly with teens in classrooms. “It’s some of the most meaningful work I’ve done, especially in a time when our community has faced painful losses among young people.”

For adults, BeWellATL offers QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, which equips participants to recognize warning signs of suicide and intervene when someone may be at risk. “We’ve learned that these conversations need to start much earlier than high school,” Jessica notes.

Two years ago, thanks to a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, JF&CS partnered with the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) to introduce play therapy in local preschools. The program helps children begin to understand and express their emotions in healthy ways.

“It’s never too early to start talking about big feelings,” Jessica says. “When we do, we build resilience and emotional well-being that lasts a lifetime.”

A Full-Circle Mission

From teaching in classrooms to guiding families and now championing community mental health, Jessica sees a clear thread through all her work. “At their core, these roles are all about helping children and families feel seen, supported, and valued,” she reflects.

For Jessica, leading BeWellATL in the same community that raised her feels profoundly meaningful. “This work is personal,” she says. “It’s about caring for our community in body, mind, and spirit.”

To learn more about the important work of JF&CS, consider joining us at Community of Giving on Wednesday, November 12th.

To learn more about BeWellATL and JF&CS’s youth mental health initiatives, visit our website.