Youth Suicide Prevention Program Campaign Launch

With Mental Health Awareness Month upon us, we are proud to share the launch of our Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Program's "Never a Bother" campaign, a collaborative project developed in partnership with the California Department of Public Health and Civilian. This comprehensive, multilingual campaign has been in development for the past several months to create a statewide media and outreach platform that addresses the critical issue of youth suicide--one that transcends just a single month of the year. Through a blend of influencer marketing, robust social media engagement and strategic advertising, the campaign will connect with and support youth across California. 

Celebrating this milestone, the “Never a Bother” campaign was presented at a special event in Auburn, CA, in collaboration with Sierra Health Alliance and key state partners. This event marked the beginning of a unique, distributed effort where The Center's 34 participating community-based organization (CBO) and Tribal partners play a crucial role. Each organization will amplify and tailor the campaign to resonate with their communities, translating and adapting the content through their own community lenses and communication tools. While Civilian spearheads the broad statewide media efforts, our partners in the CBO and Tribal networks are deploying powerful, personalized, localized campaigns. This dual-layered approach ensures that our message not only spans the state but also deeply permeates each community, making the campaign's reach both extensive and profoundly impactful. The synergy between widespread and localized efforts ensures that every young person understands they are valued and truly "Never a Bother."

Community Responsive Wellness Services Expanded  

In mid-April, The Center’s Community Responsive Wellness Program released extended therapeutic services focused on the Black and African American community through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funding and in partnership with Sacramento County.

To support access to these services, we launched a new website at CommunityResponsiveWellness.org where community members can inquire about free therapy, case management, culturally responsive care, mentoring and more.  

Mental Health is Wealth Summit

My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Sacramento hosted its first ever Mental Health is Wealth Summit in April, bringing together youth-serving organizations and mental health practitioners to share strategies for reducing mental health stigma and building capacity for effective engagement within communities of color.   

Thank You for Helping to Make Equity on the Road a Success

This year, we took our flagship Equity on the Mall event into the heart of the San Joaquin Valley and were met with record community attendance. Nearly 1,300 community members joined us for Equity on the Road town halls in Bakersfield, Madera and Stockton to discuss solutions to health equity issues with elected representatives, funders and local organizations. 

“I immigrated to this country six years ago and I have seen face-to-face the need when it comes to health,” said Yuriria Lopez, community resident of Bakersfield. “I came [to Equity on the Road] today because I know that we need more voices to make an echo and to make it so health is for everyone." 

Equity on the Road uplifted the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund’s IHHEEL agenda, an interconnected set of calls to action around immigration, health, housing, education, environmental justice, land use and planning and the digital divide.  

We can’t wait to see you again next year, when we gather again for Equity on the Mall in 2025. The following year we’ll take Equity (back) on the Road in 2026.

Celebrating the Boys and Men of Color Movement

In April, California Funders for Boys and Men of Color (CFBMoC) hosted an evening reception for Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC)'s 2024 advocacy and briefing day. The reception uplifted the leadership and advocacy of young people and partners championing policies supporting boys and men of color, including on education equity, economic security, youth justice and more. This movement represents the best of community-led systems change, as partners around the nation work together to advance race and gender justice by building power and transforming policies. 

New Funded Partnerships through Elevate Youth California

We’re pleased to announce that 75 partners have joined Elevate Youth California Standard Track Cohort 5. Learn more about how these partners are leading change with youth in their communities through prevention, outreach and education.