Journalist Lisa Ling, left, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, youth mental health leader Khoa-Nathan Ngo, California HHS Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, marriage and family therapist Nina Westbrook and Child Mind Institute’s Dr. Dave Anderson discussed the youth mental health crisis. (photo courtesy of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office)

California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom visited Hollywood High School on May 6 to participate in a discussion with students, parents and educators about youth mental health and challenges families face.

The event, which was held in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the California Partners Project and the Child Mind Institute, helped kick-off Mental Health Awareness Month in May and served as a reminder of the state’s innovative, accessible and inclusive strategy to support positive mental health.

“Today’s youth and parents face a deluge of unique pressures – balancing the ubiquity of digital media and time on screens, economic and social pressures, rising environmental crises and more. California recognizes these challenges and we’re investing in programs and services to support California families,” Siebel Newsom said.

State officials said youth are facing a mental health crisis in California. More than 284,000 youth have major depression and 66% of kids with depression do not receive treatment, they reported. Three out of every 20 secondary students have seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months. A CDC study found that nearly three in five U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless – a nearly 60% increase in the last decade and the highest-level reported over the past decade. Young people face rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, with children and youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, low-income youth and youth from underserved communities being disproportionately impacted, officials said. Siebel Newsom and Gov. Gavin Newsom have worked to make resources to support children and families more accessible and affordable.

“At every step of the way, we have connected with young people and their families to better understand their mental health struggles and what they want from a supportive system,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of California Health and Human Services. “The only way to tailor a system that is diverse in its ways of meeting behavioral health needs of California youth is to prioritize the voices and perspectives of the children and families we seek to serve.”

“[This] event spotlights what Los Angeles Unified is doing for youth mental health,” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “We are investing in telehealth, peer-to-peer networks and recently held our second annual Mental Health and Wellness Symposium with over 500 student participants, demonstrating just how powerful the voice of youth can be. As we look ahead to build our pipeline into these professions, we are actively seeking creative ways to provide numerous pathways to careers in mental health.”

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative includes a variety of resources for families and educators. It includes two online behavioral health services apps, BrightLife Kids and Soluna; free video and print resources; a youth suicide prevention campaign, Never A Bother; new certified wellness coaches to provide care to young people; an Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress campaign, Live Beyond; and free online training for educators and early care providers. The California Partners Project also recently released 10 Tech Tips, a precursor to a four-part series of reports and guides with information and tools to empower parents and caregivers. For information, visit gov.ca.gov/ca-for-all-kids and calpartnersproject.org/techtipsforyourfamily.