Why Aren't You Smiling organization helps teens with their mental health

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis mom is on a mission, in honor of her son, to help kids with their mental health.

"We have a lot of people and children that are just sad, and we don't know why they're sad. So I'm here to kind of make them smile, or help them smile," Mavis Washington said.

Mavis was previously a music teacher at an East side charter school, but quit her job to co-found and run their organization "Why aren't you smiling?" also known as W.A.Y.S.

"It's a healing process for him. He is actually healing from this program," Mavis said.

Why Aren't You Smiling Organization

Her son Armand is serving a 25 year sentence after being convicted of a string of armed robberies in Indianapolis and neighboring counties. He has 11 more years to serve.

"It's rough, especially from someone who came from a home such as ours," Mavis said. "He didn't know he had a mental illness, we found out after having him evaluated after his arrest."

W.A.Y.S. is a vision Armand came up with behind bars. He is the organization's founder.

"We thought we were the best parents," Kenny Washington said. "What we find is that communication is, what is really the issue, you know, with our son, it was more so the fact that he wasn't able to communicate what he was going through, the problems that he was going through with us."

Why Aren't You Smiling Organization

That is why expression is one of the main components for the W.A.Y.S. program.

The goal is to promote friendships, social skills and create a sense of hope for the future, despite their mental health issues.

"I didn't know how to control my impulses at first. It wasn't very hard to make me mad," Frank Westmoreland said.

"You get to talk about your problems and stuff. Everyone here is kind, everyone here is friendly," Jermaine White said.

"I enjoy the physical activity, the socialization, all of that. I just enjoy the sense of community here," Melchizedek Bartlett said.

Why Aren't You Smiling Organization

Bartlett has been involved in the W.A.Y.S. program for six years. He says its helped him in many ways.

"When you don't socialize and you don't really interact, you isolate yourself, and you kind of view other people as bad. But socialization and immersing yourself in that can help with that a lot," Bartlett said.

In addition to expression, the other components are project help, which is the community service aspect, and connect. Connect includes dance, photography and yoga.

"Then we have harakati, which means movement in Swahili. We do movement and exercise," Mavis said.

Why Aren't You Smiling Organization

The Washington's say their son wishes he would've had a program like W.A.Y.S. growing up, a place to share his feelings.

"His depression, his anxiety, those racy thoughts... if he had shared those things with my husband and I, he wouldn't be in the position that he's in now," Mavis said.

W.A.Y.S. is a free program that serves youth ages 6 to 19 years old.

Why Aren't You Smiling Organization

Parents are asked to volunteer to help pay at Lucas Oil Stadium in the concession stands to help for the programming.

"It's just amazing seeing some of the kids come out of their shells, getting over their social anxieties, getting over some of their sadness. It's just amazing," Mavis said.