انتشار خبر

کالیفرنیا برنامه آزمایشی را در دبیرستان ها برای حمایت از سلامت روانی جوانان راه اندازی می کند

جایزه 8 میلیون دلاری به هشت دبیرستان

SACRAMENTO — The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in concert with The Children’s Partnership (TCP), awarded $8 million to eight California high schools to serve as pilot sites to conduct the Peer-to-Peer Youth Mental Health Program. The awards are part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), a cornerstone of his Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health. The Peer-to-Peer Youth Mental Health Program will expand mental health care options for young Californians.

میشل باس، مدیر DHCS، گفت: «ما نمی‌توانیم برای رسیدگی به نیازهای رو به رشد سلامت روان جوانان کشورمان، تنها به مدل‌های پزشکی مرسوم تکیه کنیم.» «واقعیت این است که نوجوانان به نوجوانان دیگر گوش می‌دهند. با ایجاد شبکه‌های حمایتی همتا به همتا، می‌توانیم از جوانانی که به سیستم‌های سنتی حمایت از سلامت روان دسترسی ندارند یا نمی‌توانند دسترسی داشته باشند، حمایت کنیم.

دکتر سهیل سود، مدیر CYBHI، گفت: «حمایت همسالان در دبیرستان‌های کالیفرنیا یک استراتژی کلیدی برای ارتقای تاب‌آوری سلامت روان و رفاه در میان نوجوانان است.» «با تعبیه این ساختارهای حمایتی در نظام آموزشی، می‌توانیم زمینه را برای راهبردهای سلامت روان همتا به همتا در سطح ایالت فراهم کنیم و همدلی، تاب‌آوری و همبستگی را در میان جوانان افزایش دهیم.»

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Nationwide, rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm are among the highest they’ve been in decades. Between 2019 and 2021, about one-third of California teens experienced serious psychological distress, with a 20 percent increase in adolescent suicides. Meanwhile, the nationwide mental health provider shortage is causing longer wait times for appointments with community-based mental health providers. Availability is particularly limited among the uninsured, people of color, people with low incomes, and people with disabilities.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: The program, made possible by CYBHI funding, was designed in collaboration with youth to identify promising, evidence-based peer-to-peer interventions to improve youth mental health. Studies show that by proactively leveraging strong social support networks, peer-to-peer programs in schools can mitigate provider shortages, reduce mental health stigma, and even offer a workforce development pipeline for youth. The collaborative partnerships with the eight awarded high schools will help DHCS and TCP identify best practices for peer-to-peer programs that can be implemented statewide, serve as a model for national efforts, and contribute to advocacy for sustainable funding and infrastructure for youth-driven, culturally responsive peer support programs in California.

HOW FUNDING WILL BE USED: Awarded high schools will create or build upon existing youth peer-to-peer programs, including investing in training programs to develop sustainable infrastructure for youth-centered programs, building wellness centers on campus as a space for peer counseling, and conducting interactive health fairs.

“In response to the existing youth mental health crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, young people across California advocated for culturally responsive, gender-affirming mental health support,” said Mayra E. Alvarez, TCP President. “We are excited to partner with these eight high schools to support unique, community-specific peer support programs. We know that uplifting community voices through initiatives like this drives good public policy, and we are excited to see how this program influences future mental health investments.”

ABOUT THE AWARDEES: The following eight California high schools received CYBHI awards: El Cerrito High School in El Cerrito; Da Vinci RISE High School in El Segundo; Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley; Oakland Technical High School in Oakland; Serrano High School in Phelan; Sierra High School in San Bernardino; Mission Hills High School in San Marcos; and Antioch High School in Antioch.

 “We asked young people what they need to solve this crisis, and they told us: stronger peer-to-peer support networks. And that’s what we’re supporting,” said Autumn Boylan, Deputy Director of DHCS’ Office of Strategic Partnerships.

Raven Jones, Director of Peer-to-Peer Mental Health at TCP, provided examples of how the awards will benefit two of the schools: “The Da Vinci RISE High School peer-to-peer mentoring program is being built into a newly launched mental health career pathway. This will be RISE’s first career technical education pathway, enabling students to gain career experience and dual enrollment, alongside critical mental health skills and support.

Mission Hills High School is investing in a peer support mentorship program that will allow students to enroll in a dual enrollment college course, co-taught by a California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) professor, school counselor, and teacher. This unique course structure will offer students both credits through both the San Marcos Unified School District and CSUSM, with peer support mentors earning field experience hours while working in the student-led wellness center.”

Schools are also encouraged to spread the word about DHCS’ two Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platforms that provide free, safe, and confidential mental health support to young people and their families: BrightLife Kids for children ages 0-12 and their parents or caregivers and Soluna for young people ages 13-25. For more information, please email CYBHI@dhcs.ca.gov.

تصویر بزرگتر: کالیفرنیا میلیاردها دلار در CYBHI سرمایه‌گذاری کرده است، که سنگ بنای طرح جامع فرماندار نیوسام برای سلامت روان کودکان است. طرح CYBHI شامل سرمایه‌گذاری‌های قوی در حوزه سلامت روان و خدمات حمایتی برای جوانان است که برای برآورده کردن نیازهای ساکنان کالیفرنیا در هر کجا که باشند، طراحی شده‌اند، از جمله پشتیبانی گسترده از مدارس، مربیان و کودکانی که به آنها خدمت می‌کنند. استراتژی‌هایی که CYBHI در حال اجرا دارد، از جمله راه‌اندازی برنامه سلامت روان جوانان همتا به همتا، پایه و اساس و زیرساخت‌هایی را برای حمایت از یک سیستم هماهنگ‌تر، جوان‌محورتر، عادلانه‌تر، پیشگیری‌محورتر و قابل دسترس‌تر بنا می‌نهد که در آن جوانان می‌توانند حمایت مورد نیاز خود را در زمان، مکان و به روشی که بیشترین نیاز را به آن دارند، پیدا کنند.

کالیفرنیا در حال تغییر کل سیستم درمان اختلالات سلامت روان و سوءمصرف مواد خود است تا مراقبت‌های سلامت رفتاری بهتری را برای همه ساکنان کالیفرنیا فراهم کند. برای اطلاعات بیشتر به mentalhealth.ca.gov مراجعه کنید.

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