The Maya Gold Foundation: Empowering Teens Through Mental Health, Resilience, and Global Compassion

Ten years ago, Elise Gold and Mathew Swerdloff faced unimaginable loss. Their daughter Maya, a high school sophomore, took her own life at age 15 in 2015. In her memory, and inspired by her own vision to fight human trafficking in Nepal, they co-founded the Maya Gold Foundation, a nonprofit based in the Hudson Valley of New York dedicated to youth empowerment, mental health support, and global advocacy.

Today, the foundation's mission remains as clear as ever: to empower youth to access their inner wisdom and realize their dreams.

Bringing Teens to the Table, Literally

One of the foundation's most distinctive qualities is how deeply it involves young people in its governance. Rather than simply consulting teens through an advisory board, the Maya Gold Foundation amended its bylaws to allow people under 18 to serve as full voting board members, a move permitted under New York State law within specific proportional limits.

"For me it's been a beautiful transformation, very organic, very natural the way that has evolved," said Elise. "Not only do we see them differently, but they see themselves differently as having this different legal role on the board."

Currently, four young people serve on the board alongside adult members, shaping the organization's direction from the inside.

Teen Mental Health First Aid: Equipping Young People to Help Each Other

The foundation's primary programming focus is Teen Mental Health First Aid, an internationally recognized, evidence-based curriculum that originated in Australia and is now certified through the National Council of Mental Wellbeing. The six-hour training teaches high school students to recognize signs of mental health challenges or crises, in themselves and in their peers, and what to do when a friend needs help.

Mathew Swerdloff, who spent his professional career in public school classrooms, described the impact firsthand: "I really value this curriculum. It's a very well-written curriculum. It has a variety of modalities... It's very interactive, and I've seen it work, and we've gotten amazing feedback from it from the teens that have taken it."

A central message of the training challenges the teen instinct to keep a friend's struggles private. As Elise put it: "It's okay to lose a friendship. It's better to save a friend and lose a friendship."

The training emphasizes building a personal "circle of support", identifying trusted adults a young person can turn to, and dismantling the stigma that asking for adult help is a betrayal.

What to Watch For: Signs a Teen May Be Struggling

Both Elise and Mathew stressed that parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and anyone who works with young people should look for changes in behavior rather than a single warning sign.

"When a teen is having a mental health challenge or crisis, something changes in them," Elise explained. "They might be excessively sleeping, or they might not be sleeping at all... Whatever gave them joy, they might stop experiencing joy in those ways."

A student who was once social may begin eating alone. A dedicated athlete may stop showing up to practice. The key, both founders emphasize, is paying attention and not being afraid to ask the hard question: "I noticed something's different, are you okay?"

Adult Training: Youth Mental Health First Aid

In addition to its teen programming, the foundation offers Youth Mental Health First Aid, a parallel training designed for adults who work with young people aged 10 to 18. This includes parents, grandparents, educators, coaches, librarians, and school staff. The training covers the same core concepts as the teen version but is tailored for adult learners and equips them to recognize crisis signs and connect young people to appropriate resources.

Thanks to funding from the Mental Health Association in New York State, all trainings are offered at no cost.

Upcoming Events

• Teen Mental Health First Aid — March 30 & April 3, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM each day, Kingston, NY
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (Adults) — April 4, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, Red Hook Community Center, Red Hook, NY

Both events are free. To register, email: info@mayagoldfoundation.org

Fighting Human Trafficking in Nepal

Maya had a powerful vision before her death: to work in Nepal to combat sexual trafficking, inspired by a book she read called Sold and a family trip to India where she visited a residential school for girls. The foundation has honored that vision by bringing Hudson Valley teens on service trips to Nepal and by financially supporting NGOs working on the ground.

This spring marks a significant milestone, a pilot program in which the foundation will offer mental health support to the staff of an NGO that rescues trafficked girls and women, addressing the secondary trauma those workers experience.

Looking Ahead

As the Maya Gold Foundation marks its tenth anniversary, Elise and Mathew are heading into a period of strategic planning this June, with teen board members at the table to help shape the organization's next chapter. Both the mental health training programs and the Nepal work will continue and expand.

"Pay attention," Elise said simply, when asked what message she'd leave with parents and listeners. "Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions... It's okay to not be okay, but also relay to teens that they are resilient. There is going to be light."



Listen to the full interview: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wRn5o0WWxuqK1tiQTZRLb?si=GvrJqiQAQziZQzv0LeS50g