Empower Community Grant: Enhancing Mental Health Advocacy

Mental health

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Children, youth and families in Southeast Los Angeles County are affected by conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance use, struggles with managing emotions, familial and interpersonal discord, as well as external stressors including poverty, community-related violence, and limited access to physical and mental healthcare. Many have experienced trauma including child abuse, family disharmony, caregiver with mental illness, stressful life events, lack of access to support and services, impaired cognitive development, poor physical health, gender identity issues, criminal justice involvement, etc. However, youth and their families are often reluctant to access or receive mental health services due to the stigma associated with labels, fears and false beliefs, shame, fears of being seen at school accessing services, and lack of understanding by family or culture further exacerbating their emotional pain, anxiety, depression, trauma, and risk of engaging in harmful behaviors.

HYC is respectfully requesting grant funding to support the personnel, operating, and administrative costs for a Mental Health Advocate (MHA) who will support and educate children, youth, and their parents/caregivers in Southeast Los Angeles County on mental health and how to access mental health and family support from community resources including HYC. The MHA will provide psychoeducation on mental health issues that address stigma and coordinate linkage to culturally competent mental health services in the community. The MHA will promote emotional wellness to 900 people annually through participation in community and school-based outreach events as well as serve as the primary lead organizer for HYC's annual Mental Health Awareness Fair that draws over 250 community members and 75 vendors to promote emotional wellness and health. In response to the growing incidents of youth suicide, the MHA will work with HYC staff, community-based organizations, and local businesses to host an annual Youth Suicide Prevention Walk each September in honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness month. To build community capacity to better support young people and their families and combat mental health stigma, the MHA will provide education via in-person presentations, infographics, and social media on cultural norms, accessing mental health, and social service systems to youth, parents/caregivers, family members, and teachers, creating peer and community support systems for youth and adults.

The MHA will be dedicated to engaging children, adolescents, and their caregivers who are grappling with a range of mental health difficulties and life pressures. Within this population, youth and adults in the communities supported by HYC are affected by conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance use, struggles with managing emotions, familial and interpersonal discord, and external stressors such as poverty, community-related violence, and limited access to physical and mental healthcare. Having upheld a more than 50-year legacy of serving the Southeast Los Angeles County area, the HYC team is adept at delivering culturally sensitive services. Through the success of our work, we will guide clients and community members in surmounting obstacles to care, empowering young people and families to cultivate their inherent strengths, find their distinctive voices, and be comfortable in accessing services in a nurturing environment where their experiences are comprehended and valued.

HYC received funding by the Atlas Kardia Foundation in 2022 to expand our agency capacity to provide mental health stigma reduction education to youth, parents/guardians, and community members throughout HYC’s core service area in Southeast Los Angeles County. The MHA collaborated internally with managers and staff in HYC’s mental health, domestic violence, substance use disorder treatment, and other programs and externally with school districts and community organizations to meet the primary goal of prompting discussions and providing education to reduce mental health stigma. Through participation in health-centered outreach including the launching of HYC’s annual Mental Health Awareness Fair, the MHA has successfully engaged over 900 community members and impacted 6,000, reducing their fears and stigma regarding mental health and providing them with knowledge of how to navigate the system and receive culturally competent services that promote their emotional wellbeing.