CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM IN HIGH Schools to Support Youth Mental Health
XOV XWM TSHIAB
CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM IN HIGH Schools to Support Youth Mental Health
Khoom plig $8 lab rau yim lub tsev kawm ntawv theem siab
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.
"Peb tsis tuaj yeem cia siab rau cov qauv kho mob ib txwm muaj los daws cov kev xav tau kev noj qab haus huv ntawm cov tub ntxhais hluas hauv peb lub tebchaws," Tus Thawj Coj DHCS Michelle Baass hais. Qhov tseeb yog tias cov tub ntxhais hluas mloog lwm cov tub ntxhais hluas. Los ntawm kev tsim cov tes hauj lwm sib txuas lus ntawm cov phooj ywg, peb tuaj yeem txhawb nqa cov tub ntxhais hluas uas tsis, lossis tsis tuaj yeem nkag mus rau cov txheej txheem txhawb nqa kev noj qab haus huv ntawm lub hlwb ib txwm muaj.
"Kev txhawb nqa los ntawm cov phooj ywg hauv California cov tsev kawm ntawv theem siab yog ib qho tseem ceeb rau kev txhawb nqa kev noj qab haus huv ntawm lub hlwb thiab kev noj qab nyob zoo ntawm cov tub ntxhais hluas," tus thawj coj CYBHI Dr. Sohil Sud hais. Los ntawm kev muab cov qauv txhawb nqa no tso rau hauv lub tsev kawm ntawv, peb tuaj yeem tsim lub hauv paus rau cov tswv yim kev noj qab haus huv ntawm lub hlwb thoob plaws lub xeev, txhim kho kev khuv leej, kev ua siab ntev, thiab kev sib koom siab ntawm cov tub ntxhais hluas.
VIM LI CAS QHOV NO TSEEM CEEB: Thoob plaws lub tebchaws, tus nqi ntawm kev ntxhov siab, kev nyuaj siab, thiab kev ua phem rau tus kheej yog cov siab tshaj plaws uas lawv tau nyob rau hauv kaum xyoo. Nruab nrab xyoo 2019 thiab 2021, kwv yees li ib feem peb ntawm cov tub ntxhais hluas hauv California tau ntsib kev nyuaj siab loj heev, nrog rau 20 feem pua ntawm cov tub ntxhais hluas tua tus kheej. Lub caij no, qhov tsis txaus cov kws kho mob hlwb thoob plaws lub tebchaws ua rau lub sijhawm tos ntev dua rau kev teem sijhawm nrog cov kws kho mob hlwb hauv zej zog. Qhov muaj kev pab cuam no muaj tsawg heev rau cov neeg tsis muaj kev pov hwm, cov neeg xim av, cov neeg uas muaj nyiaj tsawg, thiab cov neeg xiam oob qhab.
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.
DAIM DUAB LOJ: California tau nqis peev ntau txhiab lab daus las rau hauv CYBHI, lub hauv paus ntawm Governor Newsom's Master Plan for Kids' Mental Health. CYBHI suav nrog kev nqis peev zoo hauv kev noj qab haus huv ntawm lub hlwb thiab cov kev pabcuam dav dav rau cov tub ntxhais hluas uas tau tsim los kom tau raws li cov neeg California qhov chaw lawv nyob, suav nrog kev txhawb nqa dav dav rau cov tsev kawm ntawv, cov kws qhia ntawv, thiab cov menyuam uas lawv pabcuam. Cov tswv yim uas CYBHI tab tom siv, suav nrog kev tshaj tawm ntawm Peer-To-Peer Youth Mental Health Program, tso lub hauv paus thiab tsim cov hauv paus los txhawb nqa kev sib koom tes ntau dua, tsom mus rau cov hluas, sib luag, tiv thaiv kev tiv thaiv, thiab nkag tau yooj yim uas cov tub ntxhais hluas tuaj yeem nrhiav kev txhawb nqa uas lawv xav tau thaum twg, qhov twg, thiab txoj kev uas lawv xav tau tshaj plaws.
California tab tom hloov pauv nws tag nrho nws txoj kev kho mob hlwb thiab kev siv tshuaj yeeb kom muab kev kho mob zoo dua rau txhua tus neeg California. Kawm ntxiv ntawm mentalhealth.ca.gov.
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