Chester County announced the launch of "Fresh Air, Self-Care Chesco," a campaign that encourages residents to practice effective self-care for better health and wellness through easy outdoor activity. "Fresh Air, Self-Care Chesco" brings together the knowledge and services of the county's Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Department (MH/IDD), Health Department, Parks + Preservation, and Planning Commission. It highlights the many public outdoor settings throughout the county.

"Fresh Air, Self-Care Chesco" was born out of recommendations made by the Chester County Youth Mental Health Coalition. The coalition, consisting of state legislators, county officials, school administrators, the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU), local higher education institutions, and behavioral health providers, focused on youth mental health concerns identified by school district superintendents. One of these concerns led to establishing a family and community partnership workgroup, led by the CCIU, whose focus included ways to lower the risk of depression and promote faster stress recovery.

Chester County has a large number of outdoor resources and activities across the whole county that everyone can tap into, and all are free to use. The many trail, park, preserve, and outdoor activity resources available in Chester County can be found at http://www.chesco.org/fresh-air.