Local teens can now help the mental health of their community through a paid opportunity
ORCUTT, Calif. — Teens at San Luis Obispo County High Schools and in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District are welcome to apply for a paid Youth Mental Health Ambassador (YMHA) project funded by the California Department of Public Health.
The Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo’s (CAPSLO) Teen Wellness Program was awarded a grant as part of the Child and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI).
The YMHA project will launch a comprehensive mental, emotional, and behavioral health campaign as part of the CYBHI. CAPSLO will recruit students to form the YMHA Outreach Team and will develop a targeted media campaign for local Latino and LGBTQ+ youth.
The 27-month project will run until June 2026.
Students will engage with other local youth, CAPSLO crews, and meet at their local high school for team meetings.
CAPSLO hopes to promote help-seeking behaviors and break barriers in the Latino community while enhancing access to behavioral health resources on the Central Coast.
"We are so excited to have received this grant from the California Department of Public Health. This is a great opportunity for youth in our community to get the mental health help they need," said Elizabeth "Biz" Steinberg, CEO, of CAPSLO.
Through partnerships with the high schools in San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara County, the Teen Wellness program aims to reach as many local students as possible.
CAPSLO hopes the youth involved will help other friends, family members, and loved ones feel more open to talk about mental health.
"It made me more comfortable talking about mental health. I have a club that helps Latino people, especially immigrants and I’ve realized culturally that we don’t realize it’s ok to talk about these things [mental health]. Just having a weekly group made me feel more comfortable talking about it. Also, the term Mental Health Ambassador just sounds fancy," a YMHA participant explained.
To participate, students must be 13 to 18 years old and apply by September 15th, for an opportunity to spread mental health awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health conversations.
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